


Once From The Cherry Tree

by laraceleste



Series: Lightspeed [4]
Category: Green Lantern: The Animated Series, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Alien Culture, Alien Technology, Aliens, Angst, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Found Family, Green Lantern Corps - Freeform, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Outer Space, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pregnancy, Red Lanterns (DCU), Speed Force, True Love, Unplanned Pregnancy, War, Yellow Lanterns (DCU)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 10:08:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 54,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29026983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laraceleste/pseuds/laraceleste
Summary: Life wasn't fair, Arley Gluck knew that. She'd known that long before she'd made her way into the Green Lantern Corps. The hero payed the price, Arley got that too but Wally West had never been a price she'd set on the table, the life she had planned with him had never been up to barter.So now here she was, lost in space, fighting a war on two fronts, trying to survive in a universe that only ever took.
Relationships: Carol Ferris/Hal Jordan, Ilana/Razer (Green Lantern), Wally West/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Lightspeed [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1957627
Comments: 13
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One — Beware**   
_**“Cause my baby's sweet as can be.”** _

_There were two large photographs of Wally surrounded by red and yellow flowers, the low sounding music that flowed through the air was somber and the overhanging lights were dimly lit giving the funeral homes showroom an almost smokey look to it._

_People littered the tiny showroom; Dick, Kaldur and Roy’s clone— who had decided to start going by the name of Will since the original Roy's body had been discovered —were all huddled together off to the side. Mary and Rudy West were wrapped up in each other's arms, the two of them were sitting in the front row of seats the funeral parlor had set up; their faces were tear streaked and blotchy and Iris who sat a few seats over from them had her own face buried in Barry Allen's neck._

_Artemis sat in one of the rows of seats, Lian, her niece and Arley’s god-daughter was asleep in the retired heroes lap._

_Bart and Jaime stood solemnly off to the side and as Arley started to almost robotically walk forward— she didn’t want to go forward, she didn’t want to see what was in the casket but her legs wouldn’t stop moving forward —towards the open casket, the Lantern spotted Conner and M’gann walking away from it._

_Choking on her grief, Arley found herself unable to cry. Instead she just paused next to the casket and looked._

_She looked at Wally West's corpse. There was a ghost of a smile on his lips and his eyes were closed; he looked like he had fallen asleep on the couch of their shared apartment, not like he was dead._

_Dead, Wally West was dead and Arley would never get to hear his laugh again, she’d never come home to the smell of his mothers sauce on the stove and they’d never get married like they had talked about. Arley and Wally would never have that family they had planned, the one Bart had told them they were meant to have._

_“Such a shame,” Someone said from behind Arley, “To have died so young, I mean just think of all he could have done, the life he could have lived.”_

_Arley turned to look at the person speaking behind her only to freeze with her mouth half open and her eyes blown open wide, because standing behind Arley, in a nice suit and tie was Wally West. The same Wally West that was dead in the casket next to her._

_“Wally?” Arley croaked, Wally’s bright green eyes looked up from his casket— his body —and to Arley, the speedsters lips tipped upwards._

_“Hey babe, what are you doing here?” Wally asked; as if he and Arley had run into each other at a grocery store, and not his funeral. Arley blinked._

_“What am-Wally you’re dead,” Arley breathed. Wally looked down at his hands and flipped them over so that he was looking at his palms._

_“Am I?” Yes he was, Arley turned to look at the casket only to find it gone and when she turned to look back at Wally— at her Wally —standing behind her no longer could she see his parents or their friends in the funeral home's showroom behind him in the background._

_Because they were no longer in the funeral homes showroom, but rather, the two of them were back at the Earth's northern magnetic pole. Wally had died here; him and Barry and Bart had all saved the world but he had died not even several feet from where Arley and Wally were standing._

_Arley’s stomach twisted, her heart clenched and tears dotted the corners of her eyes._

_“Wally-what’s going on, why are we here?” Arley didn’t want to be here. Tenderly, Wally cupped Arley’s face, his feet shuffled over the icy ground, closer to her. Arley rested her own hands against the speedsters chest; she didn’t feel his heartbeat._

_“Why didn’t you save me?” Wally asked softly, Arley felt the blood drain from her face._

_“What?” Wally's thumb ran across Arley’s cheekbone, his bottom lip jutted out._

_“Why did you let me die? Don’t you love me?” Wally questioned, Arley’s nails bit into the front of Wally’s suit, her brows had furrowed together._

_“Of course I do,” Arley replied, “Wally you know I love you.”_

_“Then why’d you let me die? The Reach killed me and you just let them,” Wally said with a shake of his head, his hands dropped from Arley’s face and Arley— begging him to just wait a second —went to grab his wrists only for him to move out of her reach._

_“You don’t love me, you never have-never did!” Wally called out as he started to walk backwards, away from her._

_“That’s not true!” Arley shouted back rawly, she went to take a step forward, towards Wally, only for the icy tundras winds picked up around them; around her, seemingly imbolizing her._

_“Wally!” She called out, “Wally please!” Wally’s figure darkened and as snow and ice began to swirl around her Wally looked more like a shadow than a person._

_“Please don’t leave me!” Arley tried to scream over the winds; Wally must have not heard her— if he had he would have stopped, he would have turned around; Wally had promised not to leave her and Wally he didn’t lie, not to her —because a second later his shadowy figure was gone and Arley was left to collapse on the ground beneath her._

_Arley’s chest heaved in pain as she cried. “Please,” she sobbed, “Please don’t leave me.”_

…

Breathlessly and with tears already streaming down her face Arley shot up in bed. Her bed, in the small flat her and Kilowog lived in on Oa, was tiny; it was nothing like the bed she had shared with Wally back on Earth.

Wally; Arley’s dream flashed through her mind and almost violently bile rose up in the Lantern's throat. Wally had been dead for fifteen whole days, dead and never coming back. Dead and gone.

Shooting to her feet, shaking off her covers as she did so, Arley rushed out of her room and down the hall to the apartment's bathroom. 

Throwing open the bathroom door Arley dove towards the toilet before emptying the contents of her stomach into it. As she heaved into the metal bowl, Arley heard Kilowog, the only other occupied in the apartment, cumbersomely making his way out of his bedroom.

Tears ran down Arley’s face, more so because of her dream— and the fact Wally was in fact dead —than because of the pain she felt in her gut as she dry heaved into the toilet.

Sitting back against the far wall as she whipped the back of her hand against her mouth Arley glared at the toilet; Wally’s voice rang through her ears. 

Of course she loved him, she loved him more than the air in her lungs and she loved him more than her duty to the Corps; she would have given the ring up if the Reach hadn’t been kicked off of Earth because a life without Wally wasn’t one she had wanted to live.

“You’re still throwing up?” Kilowog asked, Arley turned to look at Kilowog, the Bolvaxian didn’t wear his uniform to sleep but instead wore a large old fashioned looking nightgown. 

“I had a nightmare,” Arley croaked. Kilowog crossed his arms over his broad chest.

“Right,” Kilowog said, there was a beat of silence, “You’ve been sick for the past week and a half,” Kilowog sighed, “I think, in the morning you should go to the infirmary.” 

“Kilowog—”

“—I’m not kidding, kid, somethings wrong, seriously wrong.” 

_Yeah,_ Arley thought, _Wally’s dead._ But Arley also knew it was more than that. Arley knew that she shouldn’t be throwing up, that if she had caught something while undercover then the minute she’d powered her ring back up it should have gone away.

There was also the fact she could no longer hear Aniell; a fact she hadn’t bothered to mention to anyone.

Kilowog was right, there was something seriously wrong— she was throwing up and could no longer speak to Aniell —and yet Arley didn’t care, she couldn’t find it in herself to care. Wally was dead, what did it matter if something was wrong with her?

If she were somehow dying?

“I have work to do in the morning,” Arley said, for the past five days— ever since she had come to Oa —she had started working as the archivist in the Hall of Great Service, “Tomar’s organization system made no sense, I’m still trying to figure it out-I need to figure it out before I can get any actual work done.” Tomar-Tu had been the previous archivist but his wife had fallen ill and the Lantern had been relieved of his duties on Oa in order to be with her.

“You need to be alive to do your work,” Kilowog resorted, Arley just looked down at the bathroom flooring and with a sigh Kilowog sunk to his knees, “Arley, kid, I know what you’re feeling, I do—” years before even Hal had gotten his ring Kilowogs entire planet had been destroyed, his wife and children had been on it at the time, “—But just because your boy is gone, that doesn’t mean you can let yourself waste away. Wally wouldn’t want that for you.”

 _What would you know about Wally,_ rested on the tip of Arleys tongue but the human Lantern bit back the combative resort and instead, with a sigh, looked at her old Training Sergeant because he was right, Wally wouldn’t want her to waste away. 

He had loved her; she loved him. She always would.

“You’ll go with me?” John— the only other human Lantern who lived on Oa —and Katma, his wife, had both been sent on a recon-mission the day before and while she knew Guy and Hal would drop what they were doing to come with her to the infirmary she couldn’t ask that of them, they’d only just gone back to Earth after hovering— over her —for the past few days.

Kilowog shot Arley a half smile, “Of course I will, now come on,” Kilowog said as he rose to his feet, the Bolvaxian offered Arley an outstretched hand, “You need your rest.” 

Her nightmare flashed in her mind and Arley, as she too, got to her feet, looked unsurely at Kilowog, 

“Do-can we just watch television on the couch?” It'd been an old tradition of theirs; back when she had been eight and Kilowog had taken full responsibility of her whenever Arley had ended up having a nightmare she and the Bolvaxian would camp out on the couch and watch alien television shows until they both fell asleep on the way too small couch.

Kilowog smiled easily at Arley, “Of course we can.”

…

Hal was once more in trouble with the Council; after Arley— and Kilowog —had gone to the infirmary Larvox, a Lantern from sector seventeen had managed to catch the two of them and let them know that the Guardians had called Hal to Oa. 

Apparently— while Arley had been undercover and the Lanterns had been banished from Earth —Hal had punched a diplomat, which Arley was sure her adoptive father had a good reason for doing.

Standing next to Kilowog, whose arms were crossed over his chest Arley couldn’t help but force a smirk in the Bolvaxians direction. It hurt to smirk— to smile —to breathe; it hurt knowing Wally was dead. The love of her life was dead.

Salaak, the Guardian's new scribe waited outside the Council Chambers doors with them, the fingers from each of his four arms tapped furiously against the holographic keyboard he was using.

“You know he had a good reason for what he did,” Arley said, “He wouldn’t just hit some random diplomat, especially not in the middle of a war.”

The Corps couldn’t afford any more enemies at the moment, not with Sinestro’s Corps growing stronger by the day.

Kilowog, with a poorly hidden smile looked back at Arley.

“I know he did, but if I let him think I approve of his decisions then Jordan really won’t think twice before making them.” 

“Hal doesn't think twice now,” Arley resorted. John did though; and apparently so did the new guy, Kyle, but— counting herself, Arley knew it was safe to say that —that the rest of sector two-eight-one-fours Lanterns didn’t think twice before doing something stupid. 

She tried though— to think twice before doing something incredibly stupid —she did her best to keep her doubts and questions to herself, she was, after all a good soldier, but sometimes Hal’s words, _‘It’s better to ask forgiveness than permission’_ floated through her head and Arley couldn’t help but find herself agreeing.

Because what was the point— what was the point of the blood on her hands and the lives she had taken, of everything she had lost over the years; her innocence, her childhood, Wally —of being a good soldier if it meant she wasn’t a good person?

What was the point of wielding a Green Lantern ring if it wasn’t, at the end of the day, to do good?

Kilowog snorted only to quickly swallow it as Hal Jordan landed gently on the platform before them; Hal was no longer the twenty five year old Lantern Arley had met thirteen years ago, he had flecks of grey in his hair and the deep smile lines that were sculpted into his face hadn’t been there several years ago, neither had the crows feet that were hidden beneath his mask.

“Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like Oa,” Hal breathed as he stepped forward, he opened his arms and Arley dove into them; Hal wrapped the younger Lantern into a tight, bone crushing hug as he pressed his lips against the crown of her head. 

“Hey Ars,” Hal said softly into her hair.

“Hey,” Arley replied; slowly their arms unwound from one another and Arley stepped back from her adoptive father. Moving forward Hal looked at Kilowog and Salaak with a smile as his hand stayed between Arley’s shoulder blades.

“Hal Jordan of Earth,” Salaak said into his floating workstation, more so to let the Guardians know Hal had arrived than to greet the Earthing, nonetheless Hal waved at the pink alien. 

“Salaak, of—” Hal’s free hand clasped the back of his neck, “—Some planet whose name escapes me.” Arley leaned into her adoptive father,

“It’s Slyggia,” Arley said. Hal snapped his fingers,

“Right, Slyggia-and Kilowog! Hey buddy!” Hal put his hand out for Kilowog to fist bump only for the Bolvaxian to stare at the human Lantern steely eyed and with his arms unmoved from across his chest. Hal’s eyes flickered between Arley and Kilowog, “What’s going on?” 

Kilowog answered before Arley could,

“You’ll find out soon enough Jordan, just keep it professional and definitely don’t go looking for me to bail you out this time.” Hals brows raised.

“What, did I leave the toilet seat up this time or something?”

“Or something,” Arley murmured as the four of them started towards the Council room. 

The Council rooms door opened and slowly, one by one the Guardians— tiny blue aliens as old as the universe itself —descended from the ceiling and onto their rounded platform that hovered above the podium whatever Lantern would be talking to them stood on.

“Hal Jordan of Earth,” Ali Appa Apsa addressed Hal; Hal’s hand fell from Arley’s back as he moved onto the podium.

Hal stood on the podium with his heels clicked together and his arms behind his back; behind him Arley and Kilowog stood the same way.

“Of Sector two-eight-one-four the Viceroy of Demarc-Seven claims that when we assigned you to police crucial peace negotiations you punched him in the face. Is this true?”

“Uh-no sir,” Hal replied, “I punched the Viceroy in the stomach, then I headbutted him in the face, sir. The Viceroy was a serious dirtbag using diplomatic immunity to cover up his slave trafficking ring.”

Behind her sector leader Arley’s brows shot up; she supposed that punching— and headbutting —someone for using their diplomatic immunity to cover up a slave ring was more than just a good reason to assault a Viceroy. 

“The Council should note,” Ganthet, another Guardian said, “That Hal Jordan's claims have since been proven true by Demrec’s authorities.”

“That is not the point,” Ali Appa Apsa resorted, “This Lantern—” the ceiling of the council room slowly began to open as the Guardian continued, “—Clearly seemed to revel in exceeding his authority, ignoring our orders and making his own—”

Ali Appa Apsa was cut off when a single Lantern ring fell from the sky; the ring clattered loudly against the Council room floor and Arley felt dread pool in her gut. A Lanternless ring could only mean one thing; a Corpsman had fallen. 

“Oh no,” Kilowog whispered. Hal moved forward from where he had been standing and picked up the ring between his two fingers, the brunette Lantern looked up at Ali Appa Apsa.

“We can argue about my conduct later but right now, somewhere out there, there’s a dead Green Lantern.” Hal turned to Kilowog and passed him the ring, Arley watched as Kilowog placed the ring onto Salaaks workstation, Arley’s heart stilled in her chest.

With Sinestro still at large and his army— his Yellow Lantern Corps —growing bigger by the day; that ring could be Guy’s or Arsia’s or any other Lantern Arley cared about. It could be Katma or Johns; they had only just been sent on a recon mission after all.

Arley had buried Wally six days ago, she couldn’t bury someone else.

“Salaak whose ring is this?” Salaak hit a series of buttons and the imagine of a Lantern Arley had never seen before; the alien was thin, his bones seemed to almost show through his uniform, and his oval shaped eyes were completely black.

“Green Lantern Maten,” Salaak replied.

“Who?” Arley asked the scribe; she’d been a Lantern for over half her life— Arley knew every Lantern and while she might not have known the life story of every Lantern she at least knew her other Corps members in passing —but she had never met a Lantern named Maten; she had never seen the Lantern Salaak was showing. 

“Salaak displays Guardian Space,” Ganthet requested and the image of the fallen Lantern changed to one of the Guardian protected Universe; it was an odd looking oval short of shape as the Tribunal controlled a small portion of the universe. “There are thirty-six hundred sectors in Guardian Space for over a millennia we Guardians have dispatched our power rings to choose worthy protectors of these sectors, together you are what makes up the Green Lantern Corps.”

“This part we know,” Hal breathed, Kilowog roughly elbowed the man in the side and Hal, rubbing his abused side, shuffled closed to Arley. 

“Salaak displays the home world of Frontier Lantern Maten,” Ganthet ordered.

“Frontier Lantern?” Kilowog questioned as the image of Guardian Space shrunk and was then on the left side— on the other side of the universe, away from Tribunal territory —encapsulated into a larger glowing sort of spherical shape. There were both glowing Corps symbols and dull looking Corps symbols that littered the larger sphere.

“This is The Guardian Frontier, the very edge of our territory,” Scar, a female Guardians whose actual name was lost to the sands of time, “We have seated Lanterns there but they are few and far between. The vast distance between the Frontier Lanterns makes contact sporadic at best.”

“Then who trains them?” Kilowog asked.

“They receive limited instruction from their rings,” Ganthet replied; Arley frowned at the Guardian's above her. 

“You mean you’re sending untrained aliens into battle?” Arley asked loudly; unprompedly. 

“As Guardian Ganthet said they receve—”

“—Like you would let any Lantern on the honor Guard protect Oa right now out there with that kind of training,” Arley snapped in Ali Appa Apsa’s direction, Arley felt a wave of anger surge through her, “You’re sending these Lanterns to die!” 

“They can always refuse the ring,” Dennap, another Guardian, said coolly. Arley tilted her head back in the Guardians direction. The Guardians weren’t infallible, they were arrogant and brazen and secretive little Space Smurfs but never before had they seemed so callous.

Had they always been that way or had the war between the Green Lantern and the Sinestro Corps changed them?

“Why would they?” She wondered rhetorically, in the same cool voice Guardian Dennap had used, “It’s an honor to be a part of the Corps.”

Hal cleared his throat and pointed to the non lit Corps symbol. 

“What do these non lit symbols signify?” 

“Those are locations where operatives have gone offline, those power rings are either in search of new hosts or on-route back to Oa,” Ali Appa Apsa said and Arley stepped back from Hals side so that she could look at the imagination for Frontier Space in its entirety.

There were more unlit symbols then there were lit ones.

“That means they’re dead,” Hal said stiffly. 

“That is unfortunate but more accurate, yes.”

“And what?” Arley scoffed, “You just move on with your day and don’t even think about them?” 

“You do not even see fit to inform us of these Lantern deaths!” Salaak added on angrily; everyone who made it through boot camp knew that growing old in the Corps was a privilege, every Lantern knew that their lives were forfeit the minute they were no longer a White Circle and they were okay with that because they knew at least by the time they died they would have bettered the universe. 

“There is nothing to inform you of right now, nothing to be done, even flying at your top speeds you would not reach Frontier Space for eighteen months!” Ali Appa Apsa snapped at the four Lanterns below him. The Guardian breathed, “The Council is formulating a plan.”

_Right, a plan._

Arley glared up at the Council as she stood next to Hal and Kilowog; Salaaks fists were clenched mid-air. The Guardians had known for years that Frontier Lanterns were dying and yet they’d done nothing.

“There are Lanterns dying out there, we need to get there and stop whoever’s killing them, right now!” 

“Let me remind the Green Lantern Hal Jordan that the Council is not on trail, you are.”

“Appa Ali Apsa,” Ganthet said cheerily, much to cheerily to be genuine, “It had been an eventful session but perhaps a refreshment break is needed-or as our two Earth Lanterns would say, a coffee break.”

Ganthet floated down from his spot with the other Guardians before he quickly ushered Hal, Kilowog and Arley out of the Council room. 

Salaak followed until they were out of the room but then quickly split off from his fellow Corpsmen, most likely to find Ch’p, a sentient alien squirrel who was the sector Lantern for sector one-zero-one-four. 

Out of the Central Meeting Hall and flying through the streets of Oa, Arley trailed behind Ganthet with Hal and Kilowog at her sides; her heart still pounding in her ears at Ali Appa Apsa’s callousness. Lanterns were ready— were okay with —dying but to know their deaths meant so little to the people sending them to die, it was unnerving. 

“Good call Ganthet,” Hal said, “Another minute in there and I might have said something—” Hal cut himself off.

“—Stupid?” Arley scoffed, “Yeah me too.”

“Probably because those ships sailed a long time ago,” Kilowog resorted. A genuine smile tugged at Arley’s lips before it dropped; how could she smile when her fellow Corpsmen were dropping like flies at that very moment? When Wally was dead? 

“Uh-sir? This ain’t the way to the Commissary,” Kilowog said in Ganthet's direction. 

“Indeed but I thought we might enjoy taking a more scenic route,” Ganthet said as he led them towards his workshop. Ganthet’s workshop was different from his laboratory; Arley had been in the Guardians laboratory countless times over the years as the Guardian had, on more than one occasion, studied both her and Aniell ever since her rings sentience had come to light.

The rooftop to the Guardians workshop glowed green before it opened as Arley, Hal, Kilowog and Ganthet flew overhead; a beautiful sleek ship was the only thing Arley spotted inside the workshop. There was a glowing green ball of light emanating from the back of the ship; it looked like— to Arley —like a construct.

“What is that?” Hal asked in awe; Arley liked flying but Hal had fallen in love with it before he had ever gotten his ring. Though just because Hal was forever the pilot that didn’t mean Arley didn’t think the ship below them wasn’t impressive, it looked more like something she should find in the future rather than on present-day Oa.

“Oh that?” Ganthet replied in a tone of innocence, “Nothing really, just a prototype powered by the green energy itself. You could call it my little pet project.”

“Holy Bantha crap,” Kilowog murmured, impressed at the sight of the ship.

“How fast does it go?” Hal asked Ganthet far too innocently; Arley turned her head away from the ship and in her adoptive fathers direction. She could see the gears in his head turning; it was better to ask forgiveness than to ask permission.

“Well, potentially, in theory, the Interceptor should be-is, the fastest ship ever built by sentient life,” Ganthet practically bragged, his head was held high in the air. 

“Potentially?” 

“This prototype is so sophisticated, and travels so fast that it’s navicomputer is an actual artificial intelligence,” Ganthet explained. Hal, practically in a trance, started to float down towards the ship only for Kilowog to reach past Arley and grab him by the shoulder.

Hauling Hal back, Kilowog flew to stand in front of him and Arley, “No way, I know that look—” Arley did too; Hal was in love with the ship, “—But this isn’t one of your Earther jet things.” 

Hal rolled his eyes and moved easily around Kilowog so that he was flying in front of Ganthet.

“Look I’ll take her for a fly, we can work the bugs out and then we can take her to the frontier and catch this Lantern Killer,” Hal proposed.

“I doubt that will come to pass,” Ganthet said; _Ganthet scoffed_. Arley’s brows raised at the Guardians tone, “It is much too risky,” Ganthet explained to Hal, “And on a decision like this, in a time like this, all Guardians must come to a unanimous decision.”

“Bureaucracy at its finest,” Arley breathed; Ganthet hummed in, in agreement as his workshop slowly began to close.

“Some Guardians doubt the very existence of this so-called Lantern-Killer; frontier Lanterns have always had a much shorter life span than you other Lanterns.”  
  
 _Then you Guardians should send a dozen or so seasoned Lanterns to the Frontier as Training Sergeants,_ Arley thought spitefully. The Corps were her family and to know the people who had taken her in and given her a shot at a home didn’t truly value the sacrifice she and her fellow Corpsmen were making, it was wrong. 

“Then why show us this?” Kilowog asked. 

Ganthet closed his eyes and started forward, “I told you my friends we are simply taking the scenic route, that is all.”

Hal, in the corner of Arley’s eye smirked.

Maybe collectively the Council wouldn’t help catch the Lantern Killer— maybe Guardians Dennap and Ali Appa Apsa were too set in their arrogant ways to do so —but it was clear to Arley that Ganthet was helping, that he was done with the Councils ineffective methods and had decided to take matters into his own hands.

Though Arley wanted nothing more than to cry— Wally was gone, Aniell was gone and just like Wally her rings sentience had probably left her forever too —she felt warm; Ganthet had been the Guardian to take her hand when she had been transported to Oa at eight years old, he’d been the one to tell her she could have a family and now, thirteen years later, he still cared about his Corpsmen. 

…

Before Kilowog and Arley had snuck off, back to Ganthets workshop— because they both knew Hal had been pretending to sleep on their couch, the man had all but allowed Bodie to curl up on his lap in order to gain an air of innocence, even after years of comparing the vulpimancer to a miniature tank —the Infirmary had called Arley to get more blood; apparently before any conclusions could be made— because human anatomy was so odd —tests needed to be run again. 

Arley, as her and Kilowog waited for Hal to sneak into the room the interceptor was being kept in, watched as her adoptive father made a Ganthet-like construct from around the corner he was hidden behind; the construct wobbled forwards just as Arley’s had an hour or so before.

“Identify yourself,” the workshop's robotic security measure insisted as it scanned the construct. 

“Ganthet of the Guardians,” Hal badly imatated; the construct's arms flail as Hal spoke and it’s glowing green head lulled to the side. Arley had to suppress a bark of laughter that had bubbled up her throat. 

“Incorrect,” the security bot said, “Connecting the Council Room.”

Throwing himself around the corner— his construct evaporated —Hal blasted the bot and rushed past its fallen form; Hal ran into the room Arley and Kilowog were hidden in, and he turned so that his back was to the light of where he had run in from. 

Hal then spun on the balls of his and bumped into Kilowog’s broad chest, Arley threw her ring hand out and imagined a bean bag chair; Hal bounced off of Kilowog’s chest and fell onto the glowing green construct Arley had formed. 

“The kid and I kind of figured you’d show up here Hotshot,” Kilowog said, “How fast does it go?” Kilowog squeakily imitated Hal’s voice as Hal got off of Arley’s construct and made it to his feet. “This is just your style, you borrow the ship, rush into battle and catch the killer and save the day, and be the big hero.”

“You forgot, get the girl,” Hal said, “There’s probably a girl somewhere in this.”

Arley’s brows raised pointedly, in her father figures direction, she knew Hal and Carol had spent the past twelve years dancing around each other but anyone with eyes could see they loved one another. 

“Look Kilowog-kid, don’t try to stop me.”

“Stop you?” Arley scoffed, “Hal we’re coming with you. Someone’s out there killing Lanterns and Kilowog and I aren’t just going to let you rush into that fight alone. Besides you obviously forgot something.” 

Arley grabbed the three Lantern batteries that had been sitting idly on the floor by her feet. Hal grabbed a battery from Arley and swiped the top of her head with his other, empty hand. 

“Okay, Ars, I guess you can come along.” 

“Like you could stop me old man,” Arley resorted as she took to the air, just a few inches above the workshop flooring. Hal and Kilowog began to float too. Hal chuckled, he looked to Kilowog,

“She’s got jokes.”

“Yeah well I’m sure he picked them up from you,” Kilowog replied as the three of them began to climb aboard the ship; Hal stopped short then Arley and Kilowog did too because the first thing they were greeted with was the sight of a large Lantern battery. 

It crackled and sparkled in what was obviously the engine room and all Arley could think of was the large Central Battery in the middle of Guardian City.

“Woah,” Kilowog breathed.

“Look at that,” Hal said in awe, with one last look in the engines direction Arley started forward first, towards where the ship's cockpit was. The doors slid open to what looked to be both a medbay and sitting area.

Arley felt her brows rise at Ganthet's work, the ship was beautiful. 

“She’s beautiful,” Hal said mesmerized as he, Arley and Kilowog continued to move through the ship.

“She?” Kilowog asked.

“According to Hal ships are always she’s, Guy says car’s are she's too,” Arley explained Kilowog looked at her quizzically, “It’s an Earth thing.” Kilowog nodded at that as they all entered the cockpit; Hal stepped forward and sat himself in the captain's seat, his Lantern Battery was placed by his foot. 

“I wonder how you fly this baby?” Hal asked Arley and Kilowog only for a blue, holographic sphere to popup over the captain's station.

“Please define the term beautiful,” A female voice said throughout the ship.

“That must be the AI navicomputer Ganthet told us about,” Kilowog said. Arley leaned forward over Hals shoulder and looked at the holographic sphere, 

“Hi,” she said to the ship, “I’m Green Lantern Arley and these are Green Lanterns Hal and Kilowog, do you have a name yet? Did Ganthet give you one?”

“No,” the navicomputer replied, “Do I need one?”

“Everything needs a name, and we will call you Aya,” Hal said, “Arley, Kilowog and I are your new best friends and we want to know how to fly you.”

“AI doesn’t come out to Aya, Jordan,” Kilowog muttered, “It’s I-E.” 

“Well that’s a stupid name, Aya isn’t,” Hal replied quickly, “Besides Aya is a pretty name, a pretty name for a pretty girl.”

“How has Carol not beat you?” Arley breathed but she— mournfully —supposed Wally had been the same way; over the years they’d been together he had still playfully and over exaggeratedly flirted with M’gann, Barbra, Raquel and Zatanna if only to annoy Conner, Noble— Raquel’s fiancée —Artemis and Dick. 

He’d always made a big show about it; he’d wink at Arley with a sly smirk on his face whenever M’gann would giggle or Barbra would roll her eyes and then proceed to say something like, _“Oh well, I suppose it’s for the best, Arley’s the only girl for me after all.”_

She’d never get that again; Wally would never make another joke or smile or wink in Arley’s direction. He was dead. 

Feeling gutted, Arley's fingers curled around the back of Hal's seat.

“Would you like to play a game Aya?” Hal asked the navicomputer. 

“What game?” Aya asked.

“This game is called joyride.”

The holographic sphere blinked, “How does one play joyride?”

“Well,” Hal said, “We give you a destination and you try to reach it as fast as you can; it’s a racing type game.”

The sphere blinked again. “Alright.” 

Hal let out a deep breath he had been holding and with a bright smile in Arleys direction— Wally’s never going to smile at me again, Wally’s never going tell me a corny math joke that only he gets ever again —as she moved towards one of the seats in the very front of the cockpit, the ship slowly began to rise.

“What is the destination we are going to?” Aya wondered. Arley produced the coordinates from her ring,

“Frontier space, we need to go where Lantern Maten’s ring was last signaled to have been.”

“Very well,” Aya replied.

The workshop's ceiling slowly began to open and as soon as there was enough space for the ship to fit though, quickly, they were off; only to be quickly met by the angry looking Guardians who flew alongside the ship.

“Company’s coming,” Kilowog said gruffly, as Ali Appa Apsa knocked loudly on the ship's side window. 

Ali Appa Apasa motioned downwards; he was telling the three Lanterns to land the ship. The three shared a look between themselves; if they landed the ship not only would no help ever reach the Frontier and not only would the Lantern killer not be caught but without a doubt their rings would be taken. 

“Aya initate ultrawarp now.”

“Ultrawrap protocols require at least forty-three minutes to calibrate.” 

“Aya listen to me, right now there are Green Lanterns in trouble at this very moment, we don’t have forty-three minutes.”

“It’s unwise to ignore protocol.”

She was right of course, protocol and procedure was put in place for a reason but what was the point of rules if they only ever stopped you from saving people; if they were more a hindrance than a help?

“First lesson rookie, it’s better to ask forgiveness than permission,” Arley quoted, her eyes flickered to Hal and then back at the holographic sphere that was the navicomputer, “Green Lanterns risk their lives every day for the good of others, it’s part of the job-Aya please.”

There was no reply but something happened, a holographic screen appeared over the captains console and the large Lantern Battery that was the ships engine hummed loudly. The ship shook and vibrated and then suddenly, faster than Arley had ever remembered moving, the ship was off. 

Space bent around the ship, bright lights shined into the ship's windshield and for a second Arley thought of the old lava lamps Jay Garrick still had in his garage. 

Arley was thrown back against her seat as the ship shot through an ultrawarp field.

“Warning bypassing protocol has resulted in an unstable ultrawarp field, disintegration imminent,” Aya said to the three Lanterns and Arley, with her stomach in her throat and the urge to throw up overwhelming her, pressed her hand against her lips and shut her eyes tightly. 

_So not the time, so not the time,_ Arley thought woefully. 

“Hull integrity at seven percent.”

“Aya can you convert to manual controls?” Hal asked urgently. 

“Affirmite, however manual control while in ultrawarp—”

“—Do it,” Hal snapped not harshly but rather pressingly. Arley heard the sound of machinery moving but with her eyes closed she couldn’t quite tell what was happening, the ship tipped left and Arley nearly fell out of her seat as it shook violently.

“How is this better!” Kilowog shouted from his seat; from the crashing sound Arley had heard the Bolvaxian had fallen from his seat.

“If I can slow us down I might be able to punch through the ultrawarp conduit without breaking her apart.” Still shaking violently, the ship spun; Arley used a construct from her ring to strap herself against the seat. 

Kilowog must have not done that because as the ship continued to spin Arley heard the Bolvaxian crashing against different parts of the cockpit; she would have shouted at the large alien if not for the fact she’d throw up if she’d open her mouth. 

Arley squeezed her eyes shut tighter. 

With a loud boom the ship came to a stop and Arley, still alive, slowly opened her eyes. From the corner of her eyes, with her hand pressed against her lips Arley could see Kilowog on his knees and Hal with his hand pressed flat against his stomach but more importantly, in front of her, directly outside of the ship's windshield, she could see Frontier Space. 

And it was beautiful. 

_Wally would love this,_ Arley thought despondently. 

A burning star shinned brightly outside the windshield and pockets of purple and blue littered the black expansion of space. As her nausea began to subside Arley felt tears dot the corner of her eyes. If Wally had to be somewhere— if there was an afterlife — Arley could only hope it was as beautiful as the sight before her. 

“Wonder what my odds are for making my dinner with Carol,” Hal murmured and Arley jerked back away from the space in front of her and turned to her adoptive father, with a dry look on his face Kilowog looked to Hal; the Bolvaxian had his fists resting on his hips.

“A million lightyears away and that’s what you’re thinking?” Kilowog breathed. 

“Uh no,” Hal said, his cheeks tinged pink. 

“Attention, I am picking up a signal from a nearby power ring,” Aya said. Kilwoog walked over to the control panel closest to the ship's windshield and pressed a button.

“It’s a GL, and whoever it is, they’re alive,” Kilowog said.

“But not for long,” Aya added, “They are in a firefight and losing.” 

“Buckle up people, this is now officially a rescue mission-Aya we need to get to that Lantern and as fast as you can.”

“Affirmative,” Aya responded and then almost instantaneously, the ship took off in the diction of the troubled Lantern.

Not even a moment later Aya had arrived upon a large asteroid; Arley, stationed at the panel that controlled the ships blasters didn’t hesitate to fire at the two red clad figures standing over a Green Lantern. 

Hal sat the ship down on the ridge overlooking where the Lantern and two red figures had gone and Hal was the first one out of the ship; Kilowog and Arley flew close behind only to be blasted out of the air by two glowing beams of red.

Though Arley, Hal and Kilowog hit the asteroid's rough ground none of the three Lanterns stayed down for more than a split second; there were two very accomplished Lantern killers after them and any hesitation on their part could result in their deaths. 

Hal threw his arm out and a large green hand shot from his ring, the construct wrapped around the two Lantern killers only for the taller one of the two to quickly— and easily —destroy the construct. 

The red clad Lantern killers threw what appeared to be their own power rings forward and Arley and Kilowog jumped in front of Hal; their rings formed a thick shield in front of Hal and themselves only for the Lantern killers to quickly destroy that construct as well. 

“Come on!” Arley said as she spun; just as if they were fighting two Yellow Lanterns their constructs were seemingly useless. Leading the pack Arley ran; a tactical retreat was better than lying dead on some unknown asteroid. Hal took to the air first; jumping high Arley followed after the man.

“Weaklings!” One of the Lantern Killers shouted after them mockingly, “Your feeble constructs are nothing compared to the Red Lanterns might!”

Arley’s head swiveled to look at Kilowog, her brows shot up as if to ask if he caught just what the Lantern Killer had called himself.

Kilowog nodded as they landed behind a large rock; “Red Lantern! What the Nortz is a Red Lantern!” 

“These guys I’m guessing,” Hal breathed, “We need to move!”

Hal flew over an arch as they took back into the air and while Kilowog flew around it Arley flew through it all while the three of them avoided oncoming attacks from the Red Lanterns behind them. 

Kilowog stopped short and threw a hammerhead construct out towards the Red Lanterns and though it hit one of them, the rounded, shriveled one the other Red Lantern quickly destroyed Kilowogs construct before attacking him. 

The Red Lantern punched Kilowog clean across the face and Kilowog, wish a glowing green hammer in his hand, batted the Red Lantern away; the Red Lantern aimed his ring out at Kilowog and Arley threw up a construct of her own— a shimple shield —so that Kilowog had time to get away. 

Quickly, both Kilowog and Arley flew from the Red Lantern and chased after Hal; when they saw the limping and injured Lantern they had come to save Arley, Hal and Kilowog dove for him, Kilowog threw up another shield with gritted teeth as Arley and Hal slowly began to help the Frontier Lantern to his feet. 

“Easy-easy,” Arley instructed, as she gently led the alien behind a large rock; “We’re here to rescue you.”

The alien, a pink skinned alien who looked more like a cow than Kilowog did, smiled crookedly up at her. 

Kilowog’s knees shook under the Red Lanterns fire and Hal, with a blinking ring, looked at Arley, “Get him back to the ship alright, Kilowog and I will draw their fire.”

“Like hell, your ring’s almost dead, you take him and I’ll help Kilowog.”

“Just trust me okay?” Hal said and Arley’s mouth snapped shut, her lips twisted together. That was one of the last things Wally had said to her; _“Trust me?”_

Arley felt her heart squeeze in her chest; she couldn’t not trust Hal anymore then she could have ever not trusted Wally. 

“Don’t die on me,” Arley said; begged.

“Course not Kid,” Hal breathed.

“Right,” Arley said with a nod; Arley— as Hal jumped back to where Kilowog was standing —slowly lifted the Frontier Lantern to his feet, “I’m Arley.”

“Shyir Rev,” the other Lantern said, he looked weary at Hal and Kilowog, 

“They’ll be okay?”

“Course they will,” Arley said Hal and Kilowog left to draw the Red Lanterns fire, “They’re the best of best-Hal saved Oa once.”

“Yeah?” Shyir wheezed as Arley moved to lift the alien bridal style, Arley nodded as she flew carefully around every bend.

“Oh yeah, it was before my time and all but still, I can think of three other Lanterns on their level and two of them are mine and Hals sector mates.” 

John was one of the best, his constructs were built from the inside out, you could see every nut and bolt working as if it were real machinery and Guy, though loud and brash, always walked away from a fight, no matter how nasty or grim looking it had been. 

“Sounds like bias to me,” Shyir tried to joke only to wince as he chuckled. 

“Maybe you should try resting up before making any more jokes,” Arley replied as she flew up the ledge the Interceptor was perched upon. Rushing inside the ship Arley— knowing that this part of the ship was the medbay but having no idea how to operate it —placed Shyir Rev gently on the ground. “I’m sorry I can’t stick around but I have to help Hal and Kilowog.”

“Go,” Shyir Rev breathed, though he caught Arley’s hand in his, “Thank you.”

“It's no probalem," Arley said, "You would have done the same-we’re Corpsmen, family.”

And then with that Arley pulled her hand from Shyir’s and rushed back out of the Interceptor; flying as fast as she could Arley caught sight of Hal running from the taller Red Lantern in his Ferris Aircraft flight suit and not his uniform. 

His ring was dead and Kilowog was held up with the other Lantern Killer; Arley, dropping down between the Red Lantern and Hal formed a glowing green Thangrian mace in her hands and swung it at the Red Lantern with all her might.

Managing to hit the Red Lantern, the Lantern Killer went flying back and hit a large rock, though that only stunned the alien for a second or too; Arley could still hear the pitter patter of Hal’s feet as he ran towards the ship. 

The Red Lantern, with a bright, firefly whip like construct in his own hands lunged at Arley and Arley sidestepped the attack, Arley swung the mace and the Red Lantern jumped back into the air; Arley’s right arm swung wide, battling the enemy Lantern away from her. 

The Red Lantern blasted a bolt of red energy at her, missing only by a hair and Arley swung her construct again, this time she only just managed to clip the Red Lanterns breastplate and with a hiss the Lantern flew back. 

Arley, remembering Laira and Black Canary and Kilowogs lesions on combat— about fighting smart —kicked up dust in the Red Lanterns direction; the Red Lantern threw his hands up in front of him and Arley swung her mace up at him, sending him back into another rock.

Arley’s construct disappeared as she stepped forward, ready to take the dazed Red Lantern into custody only to go flying as a weight— Kilowog —barreled into her back. 

The two Lanterns crashed into the ground— Kilowog did his best to brace his weight and keep it off of Arley —and the rounded Red Lantern that Kilowog had been fighting floated above them, half turning, Kilowog threw up a shield as the Lantern thrusted his rings out and a blast of energy shot toward himself and Arley.

The taller Lantern shot off in the direction Hal had run and his companion, the rounded Red Lantern, took off after him, leaving Kilowog and Arley to pick themselves up as best they could. 

“Come on,” Arley panted, “We got to—” Her words about getting to Hal were caught in her throat when a bright green beam of light shot out from the ship's direction and the two Red Lanterns who had been attacking them were thrown— who knew how far —into space. 

“What the hell did Jordan just do?” Kilowog breathed, though it could have been the Frontier Lantern trying to help those who saved hit Arley knew Kilowog was right, that the burst of green energy had somehow been Hal. 

“Who knows but come on he can’t be okay after that.”

…

John and Guy were right, Hal was a heroic moron; the man had charged his ring off of the ship's engine. Some odd hours ago, after Arley and Kilowog had made their way back to the ship, the two of them had found him passed out on the ball of energy that the ship's Lantern Battery gave off. 

With Shyir Rev in one of the ship's medbay beds and Hal in the other Arley and Kilowog stood between the other two Lanterns, Arley felt tired and as the adrenaline from the fight wore off felt herself once more becoming nauseous. 

Kilowog, eyed Arley’s pale face; “You’re feeling sick again aren’t you.”

“What?” Arley breathed deeply, “No, I’m fine.”

“Kid,” Kilowog reposed, “Don’t lie, not to me.”

“We’re in the middle of Frontier Space, those Lantern Killers could come back at any moment and we got two of our ranks out of commission and unable to fight if something happened right now-I have to be fine.”

“But if you didn’t?” Kilowog wondered, “Have to be fine I mean.”

“Then yeah,” Arley nodded, “I feel sick again.” Arley licked her lips, “But I have to be fine right now so I’m fine.” Kilowog nodded, though Arley saw the Bolvaxian rolled his eyes as he turned towards Hal's unconious form. 

“You know kid whatever is wrong with you, the Doc’s back on Oa will fix you right up.” 

Arley for a second clenched her jaw because she didn’t want to be fixed; if she was dying then the doctors on Oa and on Earth should let her die. She didn’t say that though; knew she couldn't— Kilowog was as much as father to her as Hal and John and Guy were, and saying something like that to him would be out of line —so instead, as she slowly sunk to her knees, nodded in Kilowogs direction. 

With a groan, a few minutes later, Hal’s eyes slowly opened and Arley steadily got back to her feet. 

“What happened?” Hal moaned, he tried to sit up only for Kilowog to press him back down onto the medbay bed.

“Easy Hotspot, you charged your ring off the ship's engine-think you’re pretty clever huh?” Kilowog asked as Hal pressed a hand against his head and threaded his fingers through his hair, “I say you’re lucky you didn’t blow your arm off.” Slowly Hal sat up; this time Kilowog didn’t stop him.

“Feels like I did,” Hal muttered, his eyes widened, “What about—”

“—Don’t worry about Rev,” Arley said cutting Hal off, already knowing where his mind was going, she jerked her head in the direction of Shyir Rev’s unconscious body, “He’s going to be a little sore but once we get him back to Oa and patched up in the Infirmary he’ll be fine.”

“And our friends, ball and chain?” 

“You sent them on a little trip,” Arley replied as Hal slowly slipped off the medbay bed, “So in other words, who knows.”

Hal's lightshow could have killed the Red Lanterns for all Arley and Kilowog knew, or it could have simply sent them running with their tails between their legs.

“I have a bad feeling we’ll be seeing them again,” Kilowog said in Arley’s direction, “But in the meantime, like the Kid said, who knows.”

The three of them walked back into the cockpit, Aya’s holographic sphere was hovering over the captain's control panel. 

Kilowog nudged Hal teasingly, “Maybe we’ll be back in time for your date with Carol.” Hal shook his head.

“Dinner will have to wait, those Reds have killed who knows how many Green Lanterns, which means we fight them. We stop them, no matter what it takes-however long it takes,” Hal said and Arley and Kilowog with their chins tipped up nodded.

Their fellow Corpsmen were off defending the universe from Sinestro and his men, but the three of them— and Shyir Rev —would fight; they would find those two so-called Red Lanterns and they would stop them.

…

Somewhere else, somewhere not Earth, a man felt as if he were falling. He felt as if he were burning; feeling as if every cell in his body was on fire. He had a name once; he was sure of it. What had his name been?

What was it?

Laughter, the young man could hear laughter. It was sharp and loud and it wasn’t a melodic giggle but it was beautiful; to that man there was no better sound. 

Who’s laughter was that? What was his name?

He was falling.

Burning, he was burning.

Who was he?

The laughter was getting louder, forgetting the search for his name and ignoring the pain of the burning he was feeling the man knew he had to get to the laughter. He had to get to it; he had to get to Arley.

Arley, Glowstick, his Glowstick.

It was Arley’s laughter and he was Wally West.

Wally’s eyes flew open as his back made impact with the ground; the yellow sky above him was clear and eerily looking but Arley’s laughter echoed through his ears. Slowly, as his head spun, and his eyes began to close once more the only thing in Wally West's mind was the diamond ring he had in the storage compartment on his left wrist and the young woman he planned on giving it to. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two — My Power**   
_**“When dose the war end; when can I say your name and have it mean only your name and not something I left behind?”** _

Hours later, after— the Frontier Lantern —Shyir Rev had finally woken, Arley, Hal, Kilowog and the aforementioned Lantern, Shyir sat around the Interceptors cockpit as the holographic imagines of Ali Appa Apsa, Ganthet and Scar looked down upon them.

Whilst both Guardians Scar and Ali Appa Apsa glared down at the three renegade Lanterns, something Arley desperately tried to avoid looking at, Ganthet— with his hands clasped together in front of him and his eyes closed, looked far to innocent and grandfatherly to not have been just as culpable in the ship jacking Hal, Arley and Kilowog had— technically speaking —carried out earlier. 

“Hal Jordan of Earth, soon to be former Green Lantern and sector leader of two-eight-one four,” Ali Appa Apsa snapped as his tiny blue finger shot out and pointed accusingly at Hal, “You are now charged with treason, grand theft—”

Arley stood up from her seat,

“—Sir!” She said loudly, interrupting the Guardian; the Corps were her family and the Guardians had taken a chance on her thirteen years ago and she would always be grateful for that, but Hal was her father.

Ali Appa Apsa’s head snapped in Arley’s direction, the Guardian— for a second —looked too angry to speak. 

“Maybe we should postpone Hal’s lynching until after he tells you and the Counsil what we’ve learned about these Lantern Killers.”

Ali Appa Apsa’s chest swelled with a furious breath, no doubt to tell Arley that there weren't in fact any Lantern Killers.

But before Ali Appa Apsa could shout at the youngest of the four Lanterns on the Interceptor Ganthet spoke. 

“Very well, Lantern Hal Jordan, proceed. What have you found?”

Arley sat as Hal stood and as Hal used his ring to recreate what the two Lantern Killers— the two Red Lanterns —looked like, Arley shared a tense look with Kilowog. 

“See these two handsome Devils?” Hal asked rhetorically, “They’re the two Lantern Killers you said didn’t exist and they call themselves Red Lanterns, do they happen to ring any bells?” The pilot asked petulantly. 

Scar’s head jerked back.

“Red Lanterns?” The Female Guardian breathed, answering Hals question; the title Red Lantern did ring a bell with the Guardians. “Are you sure?”

“Of course he’s not,” Ali Appa Apsa snapped, “He-and both Lanterns Arley Gluck and Sergeant Kilowog have all concocted this ruse in order to save Hal Jordan, and themselves, from their deserved punishments.”

Anger flashed through Arley; Kilowog— before either Arley or Hal could object to the Guardians accusation and dig themselves any deeper —got to his feet.

“Respectfully sir, I got an achin’ jaw that says they ain’t no ruse.”

“Their rings fire some sort of red energy—”

“—They have rings!” Scar said sharply, cutting Hal off. Arley leaned forward in her seat; she once more got to her feet.

“They do ma’am, and honestly, they’re similar to Sinestro Corps rings,” Arley said, “Their energy blasts broke right through our combined constructs,” she stressed. 

Scar sucked in a sharp breath. 

“And what do you think these rings were powered by?” Scar asked; it was in the book of Oa, that when the Guardians had formed the first ring they had chosen the green light of will because it had been what they deemed strong enough. 

“Our best guess,” Hal said, “A huge desire to mash us all into pulp.” 

“Kilowog of Bolovax Vic,” Ganthet addressed, “What is your recommendation?” 

“I say we hightail it back to Oa, cram the interception with as many Green Lanterns as she’ll hold, ultrawarp back and kick their asses until they’re black and blue,” Kilowog said slamming his closed fist into his other hands open palm. 

Scar closed her eyes and nodded, “Despite the colorful terminology, a logical course of action.”

The ship’s sensors beeped and Aya’s voice echoed throughout the ship; Arley and Kilowog— and Shyir Reve with a hand against his abdomen —turned away from the Guardians to look at Hal.

“Sensors have picked up an unmanned probe in the area. Marking on the probe matches the insignia of the recently encountered hostels.”

“Right, Aya plot interceptor course back to Oa, it’s go time,” Hal said to the ship's AI navigation computer. Arley and Kilowog and Shyir, who looked worse for wear, turned in their seats and faced the control panels in front of them. 

“Hal Jordan of Earth do not terminate this communication—”

“—Sorry got to take this, don’t be a stranger,” Hal replied as he did in fact terminate the communication between himself and the Guardians.

The probe flew in front of the ship; the probe paused for a second before shooting off through the slow moving asteroid field Hal had stopped the ship in when the Guardians had called.

“Kilowog, try to snare the probe, we can take it back to Oa, Ganthet and the other Guardians can take it apart from there,” Hal instructed. With a grunt Kilowog nodded and he pressed his ring to the control panel in front of him. 

A glowing green hand— a construct —shot out of the ship and tried to grasp at the speedy probe only for the probe to swerve and for the hand to miss and grab an asteroid. With a growl Kilowog threw the asteroid aside, and the hand shot out once more only to miss. 

“Fuck this,” Hal swore, “Forget about snaring it and just blast it,” he ordered. 

As soon as Kilowog removed his ring from the panel in front of him Arley used the panel in front of her to shoot at the probe, only to miss in succession as the three blasts of energy she fried in the probes direction missed; Hal maneuvered the Interceptor through the asteroid field and as the probe wired left the bottom half of the probe spun around.

Two bright— blinding —blasts of energy shot out at the Interceptor, violently rocking the ship.

“Warning,” Aya’s voice said, “Shields degrading.”

Arley fired again, and missed.

 _Fuckfuckfuck;_ Arley thought; she was better at close combat fighting, at battles where she could get up close and personal with her enemies, _Kriff_. If Arty and Roy were here I’d never hear the end of this. She fired again and missed, the Interceptor shook when the probe managed to hit it seconds later. 

As Hal spun out of the way for another shot fired from the probe, Shyir Rev groaned out in agony; Arley and Kilowog looked away from the section of space in front of them and to the injured Frontier Lantern. 

“Hal break off!” Kilowog urged, “Stick to the plan, we need to go for reinforcements!”

“We can’t let this thing give away our position,” Hal replied.

“What position?” Arley asked, “Hal Shyir’s hurt!”

Hal’s lips pressed together.

“Just admit those Red Lanterns caught you with your pants down and move on Hotshot,” Kilowog pressed, “We’re going home!”

From the corner of her eye Arley saw something move; spinning back around to look out the ship's windshield Arley saw two small rockets heading to the ship. Quickly pressing the panel in front of her Arley managed to shoot down one of the small rockets, exploding it before it managed to hit the ship, the other one though— the second small womp rat sized rocket —did hit the ship.

Shyir Rev let out a groan as the ship tipped forward; sirens in the ship blared and Aya’s voice once more echoed throughout the Interceptors cockpit. 

“Direct hit to port ampules, shields degrading to critical. Please do not let that happen again.”

Hal looked at Arley; “Kid, get ready to fire when I clear that rock.”

“Jordan—”

“—Got it Ars?” Squaring her shoulders Arley nodded.

“Yeah.” And as Hal slammed his ring onto the console in front of him and a large, glowing green drill Hal had formed, shot out in front of the ship Arley readied herself to fire. The Interceptor shot up and spun so that it was facing the probe and without hesitation Arley fired, hitting the probe at point blank range.

“Happy now?” Kilowog asked. Kilowog turned to Hal with disproval clearly displayed on his face; it was the kind of look John wore whenever he found Guy and Hal— or Arley and Guy, or Arley and Hal —wrestling while on patrol. 

“Well it did feel good,” Hal replied easily with his hands behind his head. Shyir looked at Hal, and then at Kilowog and Arley.

“A probe like that means those Red Lanterns are more than just two killers with rings and a symbol. It means they’re organized,” Shyir said. _It means they’re dangerous,_ went unsaid.

Hal nodded, “Right well I guess we can’t hog all the fun. Let's load up the boys and hit HQ like we planned.” Hal straightened in his seat, “Aya, take us home.”

“Arching ultrawarp drive, ready in three, two, one, impel,” the Interceptors navcomputer said and the ship hummed as the large Lantern Battery that powered the ship lit up. The ship shot forward only to quickly jerk to a stop several feet later. 

Arley and the others hit the panels in front of them; Arley’s forehead bounced off of her forearm as the Interceptors engine powered down. Shyir raised his head as Arley raised hers.

“Are we there yet?” The Frontier Lantern asked dryly. 

“Aya what happened?” Kilowog asked the ship.

“Overload due to hairline crack in the ultrawarp coil, most likely cause by the last missile hit from enemy probe.”

Arley felt a weight of guilt settle on her shoulders as Kilowog threw Hal a nasty look; if only she had destroyed the probe before the missiles. If only she had destroyed both missiles. 

Hal pointed and wagged his finger in Kilowogs direction, “For the record she said most likely. Not totally likely.”

“What does that mean?” Shyir Rev wondered.

“It means we’re gonna be a little late to Oa,” Hal explained.

“It’s cool though,” Arley added on, “Hal loves making an entrance.” Though Arley supposed not as much as Guy did. Where Hal liked being fashionably late Guy liked to— most times —metaphorically burst through the wall of the party like the Kool Aid man.

Hal threw the younger Lantern a dry look before he looked up at the ceiling of the ship; “Aya please estimate time for repairs.”

“Calculating,” Aya hummed out, “Ultrawarp ready in nine point two—”

“—Nine minutes there we go,” Hal said, cutting the navicomputer disembodied voice off. 

“Nine point two one months,” Aya said over Hal and each of the Lanterns rocked forward in their seats; the Guardians had said that even at their top speeds to get from Oa to the Frontier would be eighteen months.

“Can we replace the defective part with a construct?” Arley asked the ship.

“The construct would have to be an exact copy of the ultrawarp coil mechanism and that is made up of fifty-six moving parts, to within a point-eight-one-six-two micron tolerance.” Arley blinked up at the ship's ceiling as Hal leaned back in his seat.

“Can any of you do that?” Kilowog shrugged and Arley shook her head.

“I make hammers,” Kilowog answered. 

_John could;_ Arley thought. John Stweart's constructs weren’t like anyone else's, if you looked close enough you could see that they were built from the inside out; you could see every nut and bolt working together.

“Look maybe it’s for the best the Guardians won’t deal with the problem like we will, we’ll make those Red Lanterns pay,” Hal said only for Shyir to let out a pain filled groan. Kilowog, as the Frontier Lantern fell forward and off his chair, caught the Lantern in his arms. 

“Rev,” Arley breathed out worriedly.

“I’m just a little light headed,” Shyir replied weakly but Arley didn’t buy it, the aliens pink skin had paled to a greyish color and the antennas on his head were lulled back and draped downwards. 

Kilowog looked to Hal, “He needs a real doctor, or he’s not making nine hours, nevermind nine months.”

“I was kind of looking forward to seeing Oa,” Stir said softly.

“And you will,” Arley said, “You just, have to have a little faith.”

Shyir Rev smiled weakly at Arley, and Arley mirrored the Lantern's ghosted smile. 

“Aya scan for the nearest inhabited world, preferably one with a hospital,” Hal asked the navicomputer. 

“Don’t bother,” Shyir said gruffly, “I’d know my own sector anywhere. We’re not far from my home colony.” The alien looked out at the far off star— sun —in the distance and Kilowog nodded. 

“Sounds like a good place to lay low for a while and get you fixed up.”

…

Shyir Reves home colony was beautiful; the place Hal had landed the Interceptor had been right outside of the Frontier Lanterns home and though the area was devoid of any sort of greenery, blue luminesent foliage grew from the rocky terrain. 

The sky was a purple color and the clouds that rolled over the mountains that surrounded Shyir Reves village were a light lilac color.

And though she always thought this when she’d visit a new planet, when the words _Wally would love this,_ echoed through Arley’s mind grief gripped at the Lanterns heart. Wally would love Shyir Rev’s world, he would love Frontier Space and he would love Oa if he were alive. 

But he wasn’t; Wally was dead and Arley was— somehow —going to have to live without him.

Shyir winced and babbled as his wife— Beatta —used some alien technology Arley had never seen before to speed up his healing; Arley, as her and Hal and Kilowog stood a few feet away, closer to the Interceptor, watched as Beatta smirked at him and nuzzled her snout against the side of his face. 

“Don’t be such a baby,” Beatta said teasingly to her husband; how many times had Arley said that to Wally when tugging him out of bed so he wouldn’t be late to class or for work? And how many times had he looked up at her with pouted lips and said, _“But I am a baby, I’m your baby, right Glowstick?”_

“Pretty handy to have a doctor for a wife,” Hal mused, Betta smiled wryly in Hal's direction.

“Medicine is something I picked up because of my husband's second job.” Shyir, almost shyly, hunched his shoulders forward.

“She’s actually the colony's head geologist, I was an engineer, that’s how we met.” Shyir puffed his chest out as he wrapped his arm around his wife's waist; Arley turned away at the affection, and stared off into the sky. “Betta’s actually the genius who came up with using the volcano's lava for thermal energy.” 

_Genius Boy;_ before she had been his Glowstick he had been her Genius Boy. 

“So Engineer,” Hal wondered, “Is that your secret identity?” To caught up in her grief Arley missed the comical confused looks that both Shyir and his wife shot in Hals' direction.

“Secrete what?” Shyir repeated. Kilowog chuckled,

“That’s Hal and the Kids hang up, that thing on their faces is a mask. Hal got Arley here wearing it when she joined the Corps, you know, just in case any Earthling sneaks onto Oa or the Interceptor, while we’re in space—” Kilowog stressed in Hal’s direction, “—And goes, ah, two of my sectors Green Lanterns are Hal Jordan and Arley Gluck! I’m telling everyone!”

Shyir, Kilowog and Beatta, Shyir’s wife, all burst out into laughter; Hal rolled his eyes in Kilowogs direction as Arley folded her arms over her chest. She wanted to laugh along with Kilowog, to joke along about her and Hals masks but she couldn’t; Arley couldn’t think of a reply, and so, as Hal placed his hands on his hips she just shrugged.

Beatta’s laughter was the first to stop and when Arley’s eyes drifted up from the dirt beneath her feet she met the alien woman's concerned gaze; quickly Arley dropped it. 

“Talk to me when your planet invents paparazzi and the twenty-four hour news cycle.”

“Daddy!” A squeaky voice called out and Shyir turned; a small alien clumsily rushed out of Shyir and Beatta’s home and into Shyir Rev’s arms. A daughter, Shyir’s daughter. 

“Wait, who is this giant?” Arley felt her throat become tight at the sight of Shyir’s daughter wrapping her tiny arms around her fathers neck, “What have you done with my daughter Amala?” 

“I am Amala!” The little alien cried out into her fathers shoulder.

Bart had told her, before she’d left for Oa about her life she and Wally had been meant to live; the one they’d never get a chance to have. 

They were supposed to have four kids, two boys and two girls, all but one of them was supposed to take after her; Bart had said that while the boys had gotten Wally’s eyes and her other daughter, Maria, had gotten Wally’s thin nose and lanky frame it was supposed to be their youngest who had inherited all of the West family traits.

Rosie; Wally’s little Rose Bud, she was supposed to have her fathers bright hair and emerald eyes and her face had been meant to be covered in freckles. 

That would never happen now; her and Wally’s four kids were just a dream. The garden of sunflowers and the welcome home kisses were things lost to a time that would never come true and Arley was going to have to deal with that.

“Come on now,” Beatta said kindly as she took her daughter into her arms, “You can hug Daddy later, right now he needs rest.” 

“By daddy!” Arley moved forward towards the steep drop that overlooked Shyir’s colony; she could feel the other Lanterns looking at her as she moved away from them but with thoughts of Wally— thoughts of the life they could have had; were supposed to have had —clouding her mind, it was easy to ignore them. 

What wasn’t easy was breathing; the more Arley thought about Wally the more she couldn’t breathe. 

She didn’t turn when she heard footsteps behind her, Arley only looked at who she had assumed to be Hal when a feathered touch grazed her elbow. Only, when Arley turned she paused as it hadn’t been Hal, but rather Shyir Rev.

“You have a beautiful family,” Arley whispered, there were tears in the corners of her eyes. There were more footsteps behind her and— this time —Arley was sure it was Hal and Kilowog. Shyir frowned and his brows came together.

“Thank you.” Shyir paused, “Do you have a family awaiting you back home?” 

_Yes;_ Arley had Conner and Artemis and she had Roy and his daughter Lian— her goddaughter, though it wouldn’t be official until she was baptized —and she had Dick, Kaldur, M’gann and the others like Rocket and Zatanna and Jaime and Bart and Arley knew she could still call the Wests and Garricks family, but instead of nodding to Shyir’s question are shrugged because at the end of the day, she didn’t have Wally.

Not anymore.

“Sort of,” Arley answered, “My parents are dead-I got the ring when I was kid and Hal and Kilowog and my sector partners, they raised me. I mean, I’ve got people I consider family back on Earth too.” Arley said softly. 

“But?” Shyir said; it was the same way Hal always did. A dad thing probably; fatherly intuition or something. 

“The man I was-Wally,” Arley choked on his name, “We were talking about getting married, having a family of our own but uh,” Arley blinked a two hot tears spilled over her mask and rolled down her cheeks, Hals said something softly to Kilowog. “He died, a few weeks ago.” Fifteen days ago to be precise; sixteen now maybe, telling time was harder in space. “But yeah I got family-other family waiting for me.”

Arley didn’t pay attention to whatever Kilowog hissed back; she just noted that Kilowogs voice raised slightly behind her, not loudly and not enough for her to be concerned. Arley just focused on the village beneath her.

“He, this man you love, he was a Lantern?” Arley shook her head,

“No, but he was a hero, he died saving our planet.” Shyir placed a hand on Arley’s arm, and Arley, tearing her eyes away from the village beneath them, looked at the smaller alien Lantern.

“Saving you?” Once more Arley shrugged— though this time she nodded as she did so —and Shyir smiled,

“Then I’m sure, wherever he is, he doesn’t regret it,” Shyir said, “Giving your life for someone you love, the people you love, there is no greater sacrifice. No greater show of devotion.” Arley, with a tight chest nodded and Shyir sighed, “Here on my colony, in my culture we believe that when someone we loves dies that a piece of their soul enters you and it enters everyone else whom they loved, and that whatever is left over then becomes part of universe, so that way they never leave us. That way they are never truly gone. Your love is not gone.”

Arley lip trembled, “Thank you.” 

“We’re Corpsmen,” Shyir replied, “Family.” He repeated her sentiment from when she and the others had saved him. 

Arley flashed the alien a small smile.

“Just concentrate on getting us out of the mess you made Hotshot!” Kilowog said loudly. Arley and Shyir spun, she saw Kilowogs large index finger jabbed into— a guilty looking —Hal’s chest.

“Attention!” Aya’s voice said from the ship; the four Lanterns turned to look at the stilled Interceptor, “I have found a tracking device on the Interceptors hull and require assistance removing it.”

Jumping into the air and using his ring to scan the ship Hal’s mouth fell open when his ring found the tracking device on the underside of the ship's right wing.

Blasting the tracking device with her own ring Arley glared at the fallen pieces of the tracking device. She turned to Kilowog; “Do you think—”

Lighting and a roll of thunder cut her off; spinning with the three other Lanterns Arley turned to watch as the clouds swirled ominously and a large pointed rock descended from the sky.

Shyir ran to his wife and daughter when they, looking frightened, came back outside; Arley watched as a large, skyscraper-like object was dropped onto the vent of the volcano that overlooked the colony, covering it completely. 

Legs popped out of the object and a red light shined brightly before the large, mountainous image of an alien— with the same symbol the two Red Lanterns who had attacked Shyir Rev proudly displayed on their chests —was deployed over Shyir Revs village. 

The alien’s teeth were pointed and he had appeared to have been badly burned as there was thick scar tissue covering the left side of his face; Arley couldn’t see any discernible pupils in his white and cloudy eyes.

He looked familiar, Arley had seen his face before but she couldn’t have; when would she have seen his face before now, how would she have?

“This colony now enjoys the protection of the Red Lantern Corps, you have been liberated from the tyranny of the Guardians, but their Green Lantern lackeys are here. You have one solar hour to bring these war criminals to us or your planet will be vaporized.”

The imagination disappeared and the bottom of whatever the device— the bomb —had dropped from slowly descended back into the planet's atmosphere. Hal took several steps forward, the toes of his feet hung off the ledge of the cliff that overlooked the village. 

“Those murderous Reds!”

“We have to turn ourselves over to them,” Shyir said bravely.

“Shyir no!” Beatta pleaded.

“Please,” Kilowog scoffed, “These guys are murderers, they’re going to blow up this rock no matter what we do!”

“We could fight,” Arley said with dryer eyes.

“That thing is a fortress Kid, a frontal attack would be suicide!” Kilowog said,

“I never said anything about a frontal attack-though if you have another idea I’m open to try it,” Arley said. 

“Arley’s right,” Hal interjected, “Look we might not know how but we have to take that thing out!”

Kilowog turned to Shyir, as if to get the other alien to back up his stance but Shyirs shoulders were pushed forward and though his eyes were sad his chin was tipped up.

“The Earthlings are right, we must go,” Shyir said. The four Lanterns started to ascend into the sky when Betta called out for them to wait;

“I have another way!” The woman cried out, “Just wait, please!”

…

With a plan at the ready, and with only minutes until the time the Red Lanterns ran out, Arley and Shyir flew quickly throughout the pyroducts under the volcano. Hal and Kilowog were supposed to draw any fire— any Red Lanterns waiting inside the bomb —so that Arley and Shyir could disable it; and though Arley knew that Hal and Kilowog were the best of the best, her stomach still flipped anxiously inside of her. 

“According to Betta’s map we’re right under it,” Shyir said as Arley started to lead the bubble she and Shyir had gathered themselves in upwards, towards where the volcano's vent was supposed to be. With an appreciative and tense smile thrown his way Arley breathed in her fellow Lanterns direction.

“Your wife’s a genius you know that right?” And despite the tense situation Shyir Rev beamed at the praise, 

“Course I do, now come on this way!” Shyir pushed himself faster and he cut a hole through the bottom of the bomb’s device so that both he and Arley could fly through. Leading the way, Shyir led Arley up several flights of stairs until there were no more left to fly up and through a door that had needed to be blasted off.

“This should be the control panel,” Arley said. “You’re sure you’re familiar with this kind of technology?” Shyir, crouched in front of the pillar like panel nodded, 

“I could do this in my sleep,” Shyir bragged. “But I’ll need a few minutes—” Shyir had been cut off by a blast of red energy exploding at his and Arley’s feet. 

A glowing green chain scythe— as Arley’s eyes quickly flew upwards and found one of the Lanterns from earlier —formed in Arley’s hands and as the Red Lantern jumped down and fired another blast of red energy at both Arley and Shyir, Arley spun her construct and it quickly solidified into a shield. 

Though it shattered a moment later; the enemy Lantern fired again and Arley threw up a second shield that was easily destroyed, Arley stumbled to the side, leaving Shyir Rev open. Taking the opening the Red Lantern shot at Shyir and Arley, throwing herself and the shield she had formed in front of Shyir were thrown back violently; with a bubble around herself and Shyir, Arley looked at the other Lantern.

“Hurry it up will you, this dude’s no joke.”

“I am—” Arley’s construct splintered, “—Just keep him back a few more moments.”

Arley nodded and threw herself to her feet. Her construct fell as it was destroyed and the Red Lantern glared angrily— but not murderously —at both her and Shyir.

“This is your fault!” The Red Lantern cried, “You Green Lanterns may enjoy destroying worlds but I do not!” The Lantern lunged at Arley and the human formed an anvil with her ring that hit her enemies abdomen, swinging her construct and slamming the Red Lantern under its weight Arley snarled at the alien.

“In case you haven't been around moof milker, it was you Reds that put this bomb here and it was you guys who pressed the button! You want to save a world then stop fighting us!” 

“I won’t listen to your lies-I’ll destroy you both!”

A whip of red energy shot out of the other Lanterns ring and towards Arley and the dark haired Lantern formed a long sword in her hands; batting the energy away with the flat of her blade Arley swung her arm forward and only just missed the enemy Lantern's throat.

The Lantern jumped back up onto the ledge he had first emerged from. 

“And what then? Ride off into the sunset as a mass murderer?” Arley’s sword changed into a made as she batted the Red Lanterns whip like construct away for a second time. “You might think you know who you’re fighting against but seriously, tell me, what the kriff are you fighting for-what is so important that you’d kill a whole colony of innocent people! Of children and civilians!”

The Red Lantern took pause, his face seemed to soften and Arley took that moment to attack, beating the Lantern harshly across the face he was sent back, out of the window and though there were bloody marks on his face the Lantern didn’t look any angrier than he had when he first attacked Shyir and Arley.

He didn’t look murderous, he looked shameful; it was a look Arley knew well, and then without a word he flew off. Turning on her heel Arley walked over to Shyir Rev, “Where are we-please say we’ve got good news!”

“Detonation in thirty seconds,” a cool, mechanical voice called out

Kilowog flew through the window looking battered and out of breath. 

“Where’s Hal!” 

“Fine-Hotshot’s fine, how are we though!” Kilowog replied anxiously.

“Twenty seconds.” 

Shyir looked at Kilowog with fear— heart stopping, gut churning fear —and he breathed determinedly, just as any Lantern would do. Arley’s heart hammered in her ears. She could only imagine what Wally would say if she died, so soon after him; _“You really missed me that much, huh babe?”_

“Fifteen seconds.”

“You’re from Bolkovac Vix?”

“Yeah,” Kilowog answered. 

“Ten seconds.” 

“If you could go back and save one thing from your planet, what would it be?” Shyir asked and without a reply Kilowog shot out of the bomb’s glassless window, leaving Arley and Shyir Rev alone.

A light above them started and began to cackle dangerously as the cool mechanical voice began to count down from five, only for Shyir to throw out a small shield, stopping the light from igniting the world ending device. 

“Shyir we have to go,” Arley pressed. Arley raised her ring; “Hal, Kilowog, it’s too late you two need to get as many people onto the ship and get off this planet now-Shyir and I are right behind you!”

“No I’m not,” Shyir said shakily, “I can keep the laser from igniting the plutonium for a little while, it’ll give you enough time to get far away from the blast zone.” Bile rose up Arley’s throat.

“No,” Arley refused, “You have a daughter and a wife-a family!”

“And so do you; kid, there is no greater sacrifice than giving your life for the people you love.”

“I won’t let you die a martyr,” Arley said and Shyir’s arm shook as his construct began to sprinter. “Not when you have a little girl to raise.”

The splinters were quickly soothed over only for more to speedily appear. 

“You’re not letting me do anything because I’m choosing this-just like that boy of yours choice to do what he did. He’d do what he did again and again because I’d stand here a thousand lifetimes if it meant that my daughter got a chance to live, if it meant Beatta got a chance to grow old, okay?”

Tilting her head back with tears in her eyes Arley nodded, she saluted Shyir Rev; “It’s been an honor.” 

Shyir smiled at her, it was weak and shaky and there was only grief behind it but Shyir nodded in return, “There’s no honor kid, we’re Corpsmen-family, I’m just happy to have met you all.”

And with that she left, the Interceptor was no longer on the ledge and Arley could no longer see anymore of Shyir Revs people loitering the street so as she ascended into the sky— into space, knowing that she was leaving a man behind —Arley felt her heart clogging her throat.

Arley had only just managed to leave the planets atmosphere when she heard a noise; there wasn’t supposed to be sound in space, sound waves were travelling vibrations of particles in things like air, water and metal, so it stood to reason that those vibrations couldn’t travel through empty space, where there were no atoms or molecules to vibrate but sometimes— like there was in the English language —there were exceptions.

Exceptions like; while there was no sound in space but sometimes a planet could explode so violently— the plates of the planet could crack and splinter so violently, so loudly —that even a Green Lantern hundreds of thousands of miles away could hear the implosion. 

And Arley could; she turned to watch as the planet exploded and Shyir Rev died. 

Arley threw up a bubble around her as the heat of the destroyed planet rushed around her; it was unlike a falling ship in battle, this heat was raw and primal, it didn’t smell like gasoline and smoke, it didn’t smell like anything except failure. 

Failure to save Shyir Rev’s home and the Lantern himself. 

Dropping the bubble once the heat had died down, and once all that was left of Shyir Revs planet were smouldering asteroids, Arley began to fly through the newly formed asteroid field in search of Hal and Kilowog only to quickly find an empty looking Interceptor.

“Hal? Kilowog?” 

“Green Lanterns Hal and Kilowog are not aboard Green Lantern Arley but they are in the vicinity,” Aya’s voice said and Arley— with the knowledge that two of her father figures were safe and alive —nodded.

Shyir Rev was dead— Wally was dead —but Hal and Kilowog were alive. 

“Right, please then-lead the way.” Aya didn’t respond and instead just simply took point, slowly and carefully leading Arley through the asteroids until they came to Kilowog who had the colonists in a large construct and Hal, who had, what appeared the de-ringed Red Lantern that had attacked Arley and Shyir Rev at the bomb. 

“I got most of the colonists out before the big bang but my ring’s running low!” Kilowog said to Hal; 

“I believe we can help with that,” Aya said, and both Hal and Kilowog turned; Hal’s face dropped in relief at the sight of Arley and Kilowog grinned brightly at her as Aya took the weight of the colonists from Kilowog. 

Arley swooped through space down to Hal and Kilowog and Kilowog quickly snatched the girl up tightly into his arms. Arley wound her arms around Kilowog and hugged the Bolvaxian back as tightly as I could. 

As they pulled away and both turned in Hal’s direction Arley glared at the de-ringed Red Lantern.

“What the kriff is he doing inside that bubble?” 

“Never mind him-you’re okay, and you Aya, I’m glad you’re okay too,” Hal added on.

“Thank you.”

“Where’s Rev?” Hal asked and Arley looked away from the Red Lantern and up at the colonists, but before either Arley or Kilowog could answer a ring— Shyir Revs ring —blew past them in search of it’s next wieldier. 

The three Lanterns bowed their heads and while Kilowog kept his arm wrapped around Arley, Hal’s hand— the one not wielding his ring —moved to hold Arley’s. 

A fallen Lantern wasn’t new for them; in a time of war the three were used to burying their friends but just because they were used to it didn’t mean that they were okay with it. It didn’t mean their chests didn’t ache. 

Their brother was dead and they weren’t, and they had to deal with that.

…

Hours later, on a new planet the colonists would settle on, Arley and Beatta stood together. Hal and Kilowog were on the ship; Amala, sniffling in her mothers arm, had her face buried in the alien woman's neck.

“Shyir—” Arley stopped herself. Her tongue poked out and wet her lips, “I’m sorry for your loss. I hope everyone here will remember his sacrifice.”

“They will,” Beatta replied; “The elders will name our new planet after him.” Arley nodded, it was befitting; Shyir Rev would now be something the next sector Lantern would patrol, would protect. 

“He wants-wanted—” Arley corrected with a tense gulp, “—You and Amala here to be happy,” Arley told Beatta, “He wanted you two to live long and happy lives.”

“He said that?” Arley nodded and with a wet laugh Betta nodded too, “That’s my Shyir, always thinking of me and Amala.” Amala squirmed in her mothers arms,

“I don’t want to be happy though!” Amala cried, “I want Daddy!” 

Beatta, with her eyes closed leaned her head back and Arley scooped the alien toddler away from her mother for a moment; Beatta’s eyes flew open as Arley perched the young alien on her hip and smiled gently down at her.

“Did your father ever tell you what happens to people who die?” 

“No.” 

“Well he told me and your father, a brave and wise Green Lantern, one of the best I’ve ever met, he told me that when someone dies a piece of them lives on in everyone they’ve ever loved and that the rest of them lives on throughout the universe. So what I’m trying to say here kiddo, is your dad, he’s not gone, we won’t ever be.” 

Amala’s lips quivered, “Then, is it okay-can I still miss him?” She asked in a small voice.

“Oh baby,” Arley cooed, “Of course you can. We all will.”

Amala nodded and reached out for her mother who with wet eyes looked thankfully at Arley. 

“Arley!” Hal called out from the opening of the ship, “Medphyll needs to talk to you, something about your lab reports.”

“Lab reports?” Beatta asked, “Are you okay?”

Blinking Arley shrugged, “We can only hope right?”

“Shyir always said that there was never a moment hope could not be found-that there’s always hope,” Beatta replied and Arley squeezed the woman's elbow.

“Be safe and have a good life-for Shyir.”

“Defeat these Red Lanterns,” Beatta said in return and Arley nodded; there wasn’t an alternative to defeating them.

With that and a squeeze to the tiny alien toddlers shoulder Arley moved back towards the Interceptor Arley found the holographic image of Medphyll, the Lantern from sector five-eight-six waiting for her in the cockpit.

Kilowog sat in one of the seats and Hal moved to the captain's seat as Arley got closer to the Lanterns holographic imagine; Medphyll was head of the infirmary on Oa, he was a large living and sentient plant.

“Green Lantern Arley,” Medphyll said with a nod.

“Hey Medphyll, I’m not dying right?” Arley half joked, Hal sucked in a sharp breath of air only to let it out when the sentient plant shook his head. 

“No, you are not dying.”

“But you ran her blood twice-she’s been throwing up for a week, she’s sick!” Kilowog said motioning in Arley’s direction. 

“Not sick,” Medphyll replied, “Pregnant, Green Lantern Arley you are expecting a child, that is why you’ve been sick, according to my research human females often get sick when they are growing a child inside of themselves.”

 _Pregnant;_ Arley was-she was, the Lantern felt her knees shake. She couldn’t be pregnant, Wally was dead, this would be his child but she couldn’t have his kid if he was-darkness swarmed Arley’s vision as she fell backwards.

“Fuck, Kilowog!” Hal yelled and as she was pulled under into unconsciousness that last thing Arley could remember was Kilowogs worried face and Hal promising her that everything would be fine.

…

Wally West, with his body aching, awoke somewhere. The speedster was on the grass covered ground, in some sort of makeshift bed— not on the icy terrain he last remembered last being in —and the leaves that hung off the tall, seemingly never ending trees that surrounded him, didn’t look right, they looked almost too glossy to be real, like the kind of fake leaves someone might find on a fake office plant.

And the sky; while there were pink and purple streaks in mostly mustard yellow sky, what caught Wally’s eye as he slowly sat up was a bright green twinkle in the sky. It was the only star visible, but— Wally thought to himself —it couldn’t be a star, Stars aren’t green.

Nonetheless it still reminded the speedster of Arley and the light her constructs would give off. 

_Arley-Arley!_ Like a rubber band snapping back, Wally’s memory hit him full force, scrambling to his feet and looking around, finally processing that he was in some wooded area and not the ice covered North pole, with Barry and Bart Wally felt his heart leap into his throat.

Where was he?


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three — Not In Kansas Anymore**   
_**"I have built a you within me, or you have; I wonder what of me there is in you."** _

Wally West was lost; he was sure he had felt himself die— he could remember how every step seemed to burn and how his chest had constricted with every breath; it had been like drowning in the Happy Harbor High School all over again —and yet, there he was, surrounded by the bases of tall, seemingly never ending trees and somewhere under a mustard colored sky. 

“Kid Flash to Watchtower,” Wally said into his communicator, only to get back static. Frowning, he persisted, “Snapper? Hello? Nightwing?” Still no one replied, with a shaky breath Wally nodded. “Arley? Babe? Flash? Come in?”

When Arley and his uncle didn’t reply Wally lowered his hand and looked around once more. _Maybe I’m just dead,_ Wally thought dismally, _Maybe this is it._

And yet despite the dark thought he himself had come up with, the speedster couldn’t find it in himself to believe that he was dead. He couldn’t be. There were no pearly gates and Wally’s body ached in a way it hadn’t since before he’d gotten his powers; he felt as if he’d run a marathon, a feeling he never thought he’d ever experience again.

So he was at least fifty percent certain that he wasn’t in heaven, and as he couldn’t see fire or brimstone anywhere around him he was very certain he hadn’t ended up in hell. 

“You’re awake,” a male voice said; Wally spun on his heel and found himself looking at a young man only slightly older than he was. The man was smiling tiredly at Wally, his bald head glistened with sweat. 

“Yeah,” Wally breathed, “I am-where am I?”

“Hell if I know,” the man said easily, “I’ve been here a long time and I ain’t ever seen nobody else out here, so your guess is as good as mine mack.” 

Wally's brows knitted together; “I think you have me confused with someone else, my name’s not Mack.” 

The darker man's brows raised and an amused smile graced his face, “I didn’t say it was.”

“But I thought—” Wally stopped himself as he shook his head, “I could have sworn you called me Mack.”

“I did, but not as in Mack, I called you mack like man, guy, cookie, ya’ know.”

Sort of, because the only person Wally knew that still used _mack_ the same way he and Dick used _dude_ was Jay Garrick, the original Flash.

“Dude you sound like my grandpa Jay,” Wally replied and the mans lips pressed together, 

“The hell’s a dude?” Wally frowned; _What the fuck?_

The man's previous words looped through his head and Wally felt his throat tighten, because while time travel wasn’t impossible— Bart, his aunt and uncle's technically unborn Grandson had only just eaten the last of his Cheddios two nights ago —running into the past had to be.

“Dude’s same as mack I guess-quick question,” Wally rushed, “This is still twenty-sixteen right?”

Wally had hoped the other young man would nod, Wally had hoped that the other man would maybe shrug and explain that they had somehow both become marooned on a desert island and that while he— the other man —wasn’t quite sure what year it was, twenty-sixteen sounded right.

The other man didn’t do that though, instead he snickered.

It wasn’t a mean spirited snicker; it was the kind of snicker someone who'd had just heard a funny joke would let out and whilst it was a nice snicker— the man without a doubt had a nice laugh —Wally’s blood turned icy at the sound of it.

“Twenty-sixteen? Mack, this place ain’t got a year, it’s where the past, present and future happen, where it all exists in one place.”

Wally felt his head start to spin, his stomach lurched and perhaps if he hadn’t been a superhero for the past eight years he would have vomited from the anxiety that ripped through him. 

“So what, we're dead?” Wally asked incredulously, his voice high pitched. Had he been right, was he dead?

“Maybe, I was thinkin’ that maybe I was dead but then your lil’white ass had to fall right out the sky and turn this place on its head-I mean mack, you brought a goddamn star with you when you fell outta the sky.” And then the man pointed up at the bright green star in the sky.

It glowed the same way Arley’s constructs did; the same way she did when she went green and as he stared up at it, without meaning to, Wally took half a step forward before he found himself looking back at the other man. 

“When-when did I fall?” 

The man shrugged, “Two, three weeks ago, give or take. Like I said this is a place for the past and present; time here’s shot to high heaven.” The mans lips twisted together, “You know, wherever that may be.” 

Two-three weeks. A month maybe; Wally had been missing a month and the League still hadn’t found him. He’d been missing a month and Arley hadn’t rescued him yet; Wally knew Arley would never stop searching for him, that she would sooner cut out her own heart than give up on him because if the roles were reversed and she were the one missing, he’d be damned if he ever stopped looking for her.

Wally had been gone a month and maybe he’d only been awake for less than an hour of that time, but nonetheless if the League— and Arley —hadn’t found him yet, did that mean they ever would?

Looking up at the man leaning against the trunk of a tree, Wally licked his lips dreading the next question he knew he’d have to ask; “How-how long have you been here.” 

“You asked if this was twenty-sixteen, that the year you from?” Wally nodded. The man took in a deep breath, his shoulders rolled back and his chin tilted up, Wally’s breath lodged in his throat as he waited a moment and then two; the speedsters heart thumped loudly in his ears.

“Seventy years?” The man said, “Seventy-five?” He nodded, “About that.”

…

With Hal’s voice coaxing her awake, Arley woke up slowly, back in the medbay area of the Interceptor. One of her hands was in Hals and Kilowogs fingers were wrapped gently around her ankle. Medpyll’s words rang loudly through her ears; _“Green Lantern Arley you are expecting a child.”_

 _No,_ Arley thought mournfully; she wasn’t supposed to have a family— to start one of her own —without Wally by her side, how could she when she had only ever envisioned doing so with him? 

“Please, please tell me I passed out because Medpyll said I had some brain eating bug in my brain,” Arley asked Hal and Kilowog softly as she sat up, she moved her ankle from under Kilowogs grip and she lifted her hand from Hals; she bent her legs so that the flats of her feet were pressed together and tucked her hands under her armpits.

“Kid,” Hal said gently, “I’m sorry-I know this has to be hard—”

“—You don’t know shit Hal,” Arley snapped angrily; Hal flinched at the younger Lantern's harsh tone, and Arley— though the glare wasn’t specifically for Hal —glared in the pilots direction. At the space over his shoulder. 

She was angry at the world— at her circumstances —but not at Hal. 

“Wally is dead and I’m having his kid; he’s gone, Hal.” Tears dotted Arley’s eyes, “This wasn’t—” she cut herself off.

 _This wasn’t how this was supposed to go;_ Wally wasn’t supposed to die, the two of them were meant to have a tiny wedding in Central City and he was meant to be a professor of Engineering at Berkeley and they were supposed to have four kids in a nice but rather small Fairfield home. She wasn’t supposed to be a single mother at twenty-one. 

“I know,” Hal breathed as he wound his arm around Arley’s shoulders, “I know.” Arley felt her head knock against her adoptive fathers collarbone as her lips quivered. 

“He’s supposed to be here for this,” Arley whimpered; Hal clutched Arley as tightly as he had that day on the Watchtower. Life wasn’t fair, Arley knew that but this— having been left behind, young and pregnant —wasn’t right.

It was wrong. So, so wrong.

She wanted Wally, she needed him.

“He is,” Hal breathed, “I’m sure wherever he is, he’s looking down on you-and, and the baby.”

…

With the green star shining over the two them, Wally West and who had learned was Roscoe Hynes, an Air Force pilot from Tuskegee, Alabama sat across from one another in the same clearing Wally had woken up in. 

After Roscoe had explained who he was and how— as far as he knew —he had ended up wherever they were— apparently during World War Two, whilst flying a prototype, Roscoe had lead his his squadron into their first combat mission only to break formation so that he could test the prototype’s flight capabilities, only to then, somehow to crash land —he had started to explain more about where they were. 

The first thing Roscoe had explained was that the place they were on was like a floating island, that when his plane had been falling he had seen the edge of wherever they were, “It’s like a big chunk of dirt—this is what Columbus musta thought the Earth was like.”

The second thing Roscoe had explained was that wherever they were was more than just where the wires of time overlapped; “Time don’t move here mack, it ain’t had to eat in seventy-five years, I ain’t had to sleep either and I certainly ain’t had to bleed.” 

And it was at that, that Roscoe had lifted his shirt to reveal his wounded side, he’d explained to Wally that he had gotten injured when he’d crash landed on the island and how the wound he had sustained on impact— in the regular, everyday world —would have certainly killed him.

“But what do you mean when you say the past, present and future happen here?” Wally wondered, his knees were coiled up to his chest and his mask hung behind him. He had raked the fallen leaves out of his hair after Roscoe had first calmed him down. 

“Maybe you should see yourself,” Roscoe said as he got up off the ground, the young pilot dusted off his pants as he got up and Wally followed suit as the man slowly lead him through the trees, down a hill and towards a riverbank where Wally saw the most unbelievable sight imaginable. 

In the water rushing through the river stream there wasn’t fish or other wildlife but rather images of Wally’s life; Wally knew that the older man he was seeing was himself— he could feel it in his bones —and he knew that the dark haired boys smiling up at him in the water were his kids, would one day be his sons.

They had his eyes and they had his cleft chin, and though their hair was dark they had his curls. The three of them were running; the boys were young, maybe seven or eight but they had large mile wide smiles on their faces and as the boy on the left laughed Wally could practically hear the boys high pitched giggles ringing through his ears.

As the image seemed to replay— Wally chasing the two boys and scooping them up in his arms —Wally's head snapped in Roscoe's direction, the pilot had a small smile on his face— the kind that you didn’t even notice until it’d been pointed out —and a soft look in his eyes, one that told Wally that the darker skinned man wasn’t seeing Wally’s future but rather his own. 

“What is this?” Wally asked and Roscoe hesitantly turned away from the river, like he didn’t want to miss a second of what he was being shown.

“The time stream?” Roscoe shrugged, “The water, when you walk back that way—” Roscoe pointed left, away from them, “—It shows the past, I see my moms and my sisters back when we’s were little, and I see myself meeting my wife after I joined up-she’s a nurse, and the more you walk that way—” Roscoe pointed to the right, “It shows the future, of what could be if I ever-if we ever, get outta here.” 

“If-if it shows the future and the past then how come you haven’t—”

“—Figured a way out of this place?” Roscoe asked pointedly, the man let out a dry laugh. “It’s not like I haven’t tried but this river don’t show you one. One minute I be watching myself, watching myself and then the next, three steps down the river I’m home free and back on the battlefield.” Roscoe breathed sadly, “Wally I’ve been up and down this river for seventy-five years, and the only thing it’s good for is showing me what I’m missing out on.”

 _No_ , _no_ ; Wally West didn’t accept that, just as he hadn’t accepted Arley’s hesitance to become his friend at nine and just like he hadn’t accepted his uncle Barrry’s refusal to become his sidekick at twelve, Wally didn’t accept that there wasn’t a way out of whatever purgatorial hell he and Roscoe Hynes had ended up in.

He had friends and parents to get back to, a girl to propose to— a family to start —a life to live; Wally West would be damned if he spent the next seventy-five years being shown what he was missing out on.

…

In Arley’s bedroom— a tiny closet sized room with only a desk, a small waste basket underneath of it, and a mattress that folded into the wall and dresser drawers that extended and drew out from the wall closest to the door —Arley and Hal sat shoulder to shoulder on her mattress.

Kilowog had offered to take first watch over the Red Lantern; Aya had said how none of them needed to as she would always be watching but the three Lanterns would rather be safe than sorry, something that the navicomputer could sort of comprehend. 

Arley’s eyes were rimmed red and her chest was heavy; her hands were pressed flatly against her stomach. Pregnant, she was pregnant; she was growing a tiny life inside of her. A baby boy or baby girl. The fetus had to be at least two months old as Arley and Wally hadn’t slept together the night she’d broken cover; their child had been conceived in a shady motel room.

The thought almost made Arley smile; Wally would— if he were there with her and not dead —would say something stupid enough to make her laugh. He’d be happy, they’d been planning on a family and maybe he wouldn’t have been ecstatic— neither of them had their degrees yet and they didn’t even have steady jobs —but Arley knew Wally West better than she knew herself sometimes and everything inside of her told her he would have been happy to know that in several months he’d be a father.

 _In several months_ —Arley’s heart stopped as Aya’s voice floated through her head; _“Ultrawarp ready in nine-point-two months.”_

_Oh Nortz. No, no, no._

Arley lunged away from Hal and towards the wastebasket that sat idly under the desk in her room and Hal jumped to her feet as Arley used a construct to pull the trash quickly to her. Nothing came up; Arley hadn’t eaten in hours, but the young Lantern dry heaved into the trash.

Hal gathered her dark hair up in one hand and held it high against her skull while the other rubbed comforting circles on her bed, “Hey, come on, just breath.”

But she couldn’t; the ship's ultrawarp coil wouldn’t be ready for another nine and half months and the fetus growing inside of her would come to term long before that. The baby would be born, months before they’d be able to get to Oa. 

“Hal,” Arley gasped, “Hal-dad,” Arley reached out and grabbed her adoptive fathers wrist, her hair fell around her face and she set the garbage can between her knees, Hal looked at her with wide eyes; “I’m having a baby.”

“Yeah Ars I know,” Hal said supportively. 

“No,” Arley stressed, “I’m having a baby, in kriffing space.” And just as she had realized, Hal’s brain walked him through the same thought process Arley had gone through. The pilot's brows shot up.

“Oh fuck,” Hal breathed, the color in his face drained; “Jesus, fucking Nortz.”

…

Walking left, down the river, looking at memories of himself and the people he loved— of him and his parents, of him and Dick and his other friends, of him and his uncle and of him and Arley —Wally fell into step with Roscoe as the dark skinned man walked besides him.

“You said you were married?” Wally asked, neither man had spoken in some time, content just to look into the watery pictures playing beside them. Roscoe smiled.

“Malaya,” Roscoe said with a bright smile, “Love of my life but a goddamn hellion.”

“Yeah?” Wally asked, “How so?” Roscoe let out a chuckle,

“We met at basic, she was a nurse there and well I hadn’t even been there an hour before I saw Jeffrey Gunderson harassin’ this her and well, my moms would’a had my head if I just walked on by that so I step inn and you know what she says to me?”

“What?” Wally supposed _‘Fuck off’_ was a little to brazen for women in the forties, but he was sure it was something along those lines.

“That she didn’t need no wide eyed Eager-Beever stepping on her toes just ‘cause he thinks he could handle somethin’ better than she can.” Roscoe looked up at the yellow sky and then back at Wally, “And I swear on my nana’s grave it was a knife from the mess, but Mayala says it was just’a scalpel she swiped from the nurses station, but anyways, after she tells me off, she turns and whips it out at Jeffery Gunderson and tells him that if he comes back for some active duty—” Roscoe said suggestively, Wally supposed that ‘active duty’ was forties slang for a booty call, “—Then she’d make sure he stayed in the infirmary until he had to ship out.”

“You’re kidding?” Wally said, Roscoe shook his head.

“No, but it was right then and there I knew I was gonna marry her,” the other man said and Wally couldn’t help but laugh. 

“She pulled a knife!” 

“A scalpel,” Roscoe rolled his eyes, “But I dunno know, something inside my head just went, _‘that’s the girl for me’_ and well, it wasn’t like I never liked strong women before, my cousins always said I hadda type.”

“So how’d you get her to go on a date with you?” Wally wondered, “You know, if you were such an Eager-Beaver?”

“Her friend, Minnie-Araminta, she was filing girl and the next day she got Malaya to apologise for jumpin’ down my throat and I told her not to worry about it, she was right I wasn’t gonna do no better job running Gunderson off then she’d a did and after that we ate lunch together everyday until I finished basic and after that I asked her to marry me.”

“How long was boot camp?”

“Nine weeks.” Wally’s brows shot up.

“Jesus and you asked her to marry you after nine weeks?” Wally pressed with a laugh. Sure Wally had been sure he was going to marry Arley after Savage had kidnapped him and Artemis at eighteen, but still; even the thought of proposing at eighteen seemed crazy. Proposing nine weeks after meeting someone— to Wally, at least —seemed ludacris. 

“Course I did, I was getting my orders soon after that and I didn’t just want to ship off with a girl back home, I wanted to ship off and know my wife was-is—” Roscoe corrected, “—Waiting for me.”

“Still,” Wally breathed, “Nine weeks.” 

“What about you?” Roscoe wondered, “You got someone waiting for you?” 

_Arley;_ her smile flashed thought Wally’s mind and the way her hand felt in his made the skin of his palm tingle. 

“Yeah-I was actually planning on proposing when this—” Wally waved at the greenery around them, “—Happened.” Wally popped open the small compartment he had on his wrist, the one he usually kept a few Flash bars, and pulled out an old looking engagement ring. 

Roscoe let out a whistle at the sight of the ring.

It wasn’t flashy and the single diamond that sat on top of the golden band wasn’t big but it had been Hals mothers and Wally knew that the sentiment and history behind the ring would mean more to Arley than any finely cut piece of carbon ever would. 

“Must be a special girl if that's what you’re given’ that to her.” 

“She is,” Wally breathed, “She’s my best friend-we’ve been together for years.” Five in all actuality and six in four months time.

“What’s she like?” Roscoe wondered.

“She’s good,” Wally said automatically, “She’s—” Wally paused, there was just so much to say about Arley the speedster knew he could talk about her for hours if Roscoe would let him, but he doubted the man would want to listen to Wally gush about a girl who’s own parents hadn’t even yet been born in his time so instead, with a deep breath Wally thought of how to summarize the Lantern. 

“She’s the fiercest and most loving person I know. She could kick my ass with one hand tied behind her back. Most days, her heart’s too big for her body, I mean she just has all this love to give and half the time she doesn’t even realize it,” Wally said after a moment.

Wally knew what Arley tended to think of herself; he knew she thought of herself as a monster, but how could she be a monster when the only thing she wanted to do in life was save people, how could she be a monster when she woke up every day and choose to run herself down into the ground doing good?

“She sounds like a real catch,” Roscoe said.

“So dose Malaya,” Wally responded and the two men shared a meaningful look between each other. They were going to get out of wherever the hell they had ended up and they were going to get back to their families— their girls —and they were going to live out the lives the river they walked next to was showing them.

They had to; there wasn’t another option.

…

After having spoken to Medphyll some more, and confirming that she was instead almost three months along, Arley and Hal, and Kilowog all stood in the Interceptors cockpit; the holographic images of John Stewart, Guy Gadner, Karma-Tui— John’s wife and fellow Green Lantern —and the four human Lanterns newest sector partner, Kyle Rayner, all looked down at them.

“I cannot believe you car jacked the Guardians!” John bemoaned as Guy cackled next to him; even after the three Lanterns had told the others everything— from the fact the Guardians were sending untrained Lanterns out into the universe to Shyir Revs death —the fact they had stolen the ship Ganthet had been building was what John was stuck on. 

“I-Kilowog!” John hissed, and with a smirk the Bolvaxian turned away from the hologram.

“There was-is a Lantern killer out there, a whole Corps of them,” Hal defended himself, “How could we just stand there and do nothing?”

“Hal’s right John,” Arley popped up from her chair, “I mean you would have done the same, besides it’s not like we car jacked them, Ganthet’s the one who showed us the Interceptor in the first place, he wanted us to take it.”

He’d all but given them the keys to do so.

John, squeezing his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose, let out a frustrated breath and a low sounding growl and Katma, with a mischievous smile on her lips, placed a hand on her husband's shoulder. 

“Look, this isn’t actually why we called—”

“—Hal you, the kid and Kilowog are trapped in the middle of nowhere, with another, secret Corps out there killing Greens and that’s not what you wanted to tell us?” Guy interrupted, the red headed Lantern shot them a sarcastic smile. 

“We have-Arley, has something to tell you,” Hal said and John opened his eyes. 

“I’ll take care of Bodie, don’t worry about it,” John said and though Arley smiled it quickly faltered.

“Thanks but uh, that’s not what I had to tell you guys,” Arley replied, her tongue swept across her lips. “I-well, I’ve been sick lately, and before we took the ship Kilowog and I went to the infirmary.”

Guys smile had died on his face and his shoulders had straightened; “You’re okay?”

“I’m pregnant actually,” Arley said and the red headed Lantern's mouth fell open; John’s eyes grew in size and Kyle— while Katma's pointed ears twitched —shifted from foot to foot.

“Congrats?” Kyle offered as Guy, very loudly, repeated the word _‘Pregnant’._

“Thanks Kyle.”

“What do you mean pregnant?” John asked, “Like you’re-no! No, you are twenty-one!”

“I’m sorry did you not listen to anything I told you when you were thirteen!” Guy said loudly over John, “You can’t go wrong if he shields his dong!”

With pink cheeks Arley slunk down in her chair. She could still remember the poster Guy had made with the slogan on it, it’d had pink glitter on it.

“It wasn’t like Wally and I planned on it happening,” Arley snapped back, “It just—” Arley could remember the night in the motel room with such clarity her heart clenched in her chest. Her and Wally had spoken of having five kids, of a garden of sunflowers; Arley had been okay with retiring from the Corps— with giving it up —if it had meant a life with him.

But this; pregnant, in space and a single mother at twenty-one, it wasn’t something that they— that she —had planned.

“It just happened,” Arley breathed.

“I was a condom baby,” Kyle said suddenly before anyone else could speak, and six pairs of eyes flew to him; “I mean, what I’m just trying to say is that, my mom always said I should have come out with a cap on my head-this stuff happens all the time,” Kyle said sympathetically and abet, very awkwardly. 

“Thanks Kyle,” Arley said and the new Lantern smiled kindly at her. With a sigh John looked at Arley and his lips were half curved up; he didn’t look happy but he looked as if he were trying to be. His shoulders were taut and the Lantern flexed his stiff fingers at his side. 

“I’ll tell Rudy and Mary next time I’m on Earth-if that’s something you want?” John offered after a tense moment, Arley nodded, Rudy and Mary should know that they had a grandchild on the way, even if said grandchild was lightyears and lightyears away.

“Yeah-Barry and Iris too? Please? They should know.”

“I guess I’ll be the one to let the other kids know—” Guy stopped short and smiled at the ground, “—I call pops!” He said as his hand flew into the air, 

“What are you talking about Gardner?” Kilowog wondered.

“When the kid’s born, I call pops, don’t know what the rest of you losers, not you Kat, will be called though, but that’s not really my problem is it?” Guy said with a wicked grin. Guy wasn’t an ace pilot like Hal and he wasn’t a good soldier like John, but he knew how to make someone he cared for smile; he knew how to care.

Arley couldn’t help but smile at the red headed Lantern, the tightness in her chest lessened ever so slightly as John threw Guy a tired look. 

“Now’s not really the time for this Gardner,” John said tersely and Guy scoffed; 

“Please if I don’t say it now one of you will want pops and I’ll be stuck with Grandpa Guy-no thanks.” 

“You’re a child, you know that?” John shot at the red head and Guy, with his chin tilted up, crossed his arms over his chest,

“I’m so sorry you’re turning into a crotchety old man, gramps but some of us are actually young at heart,” Guy teased and the vein that tended to pop up over John’s left eyebrow bulged outwards as the dark skinned Lanterns fist swung out and clipped Guy’s shoulder. 

Kyle quickly moved out of the way and danced over to Katma’s other side away from his other two sector partners as John and Guy wrestled out of the hologram's view. 

“I’ll call you soon-and Arley?”

“Yeah Kat?”

“I wouldn’t be opposed to being known as Grandmother,” the alien woman said and Arley, who had always seen Katma just as much as a mother figure as both Carol Ferris and Mary West smiled at her.

“I’d never oppose you being Grandma Kat.”

“I love you, stay safe and take care,” Katma said to Arley; Arley was quick to return the alien woman's sentiments as she turned to the other two Lanterns in the Interceptors cockpit. “Kilowog, Jordan-watch your backs out there, we’ll talk to you three soon.” 

Kyle waved and then as the hologram faded and Arley turned to Hal, who was smiling at the space his friends— their family —had just been; Arley’s own small smile couldn’t help but grow at the sight of Hals.

“That went better than expected,” Arley said. Arley had expected a lot more yelling, a lot more disappointment. 

“They’re happy-they’re grandpa’s, though let’s be clear, I call Grandpa,” Hal said, and Arley couldn’t help but smile at her adoptive father; Grandpa Hal did have a nice ring to it.

…

When Wally and Roscoe had settled back at the campsite that Wally had woken up in, the red headed speedster couldn’t help but lay back against the dirt and look up at the bright green star above them. It only seemed to have brightened since he’d awoken.

It looked like a construct; like the energy blasts that shot out from Arley and every other Lanterns rings. After eight years Wally knew that color of green just like he knew the smell of his mothers meatsauce and the sound of Arley's laughter. 

Tearing his eyes away from the star to look at Roscoe, Wally frowned.

“You said that star appeared when I showed up, right?”

“When you fell mack,” Roscoe corrected. “One minute I’m down by the river and the next there’s a whooshing sound and then there’s a bright green light in the sky-that light, and next thing I know, you’re falling.”

When he had fallen— before he had fallen, perhaps —Wally had heard Arley’s laughter. 

He’d been burning— his chest had burned with every breath back at the North Pole, that must have been it —and then he had heard Arley’s laugh; Wally was sure of it. The river though, never admitted any sound; no laughter or cries ever escaped from the memories of the past or the moments to come. 

So how had he heard it?

Wally looked up at the green star— at the green something —and then at Roscoe. He had an idea, a very, Peter Pan-like idea but an idea all the same.

“How tired are you right now?”

“I ain’t been tired in seventy-five years mack, why?” Wally grinned at Roscoe as he stood, dusting off the dirt from his uniform Wally stuck his hand out in the mans direction,

“Just trust me.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four — Razers Edge**   
_**“Dose your mother love you all the time, have you ever doubted?”** _

Wally had been dead twenty days, nearly a month. Shyir Rev had been dead four days— it had been four days since the destruction of the Lanterns planet, and the capture of the Red Lantern —and in that time all Arley, Hal and Kilowog had been able to get from the enemy Lantern was his name; Razer. 

“Is he still watching that?” Kilowog growled; the Bolvaxian, Hal and Arley had all gathered at the entrance of the brig. The enemy alien hadn’t spoken since he’d given the three Green Corpsmen his name, all he did was watch— and rewatch —the destruction of Shyir Revs planet, over and over again, unblinkingly.

“Has he even slept?” Arley asked, Razer hadn’t when she’d kept watch over him— something she had, had to argue to be allowed to do —and whenever she would bring Hal his grilled cheese-in-a-can sandwich during the pilots watch over the Red Lantern, Razer hadn’t been asleep then either.

Arley doubted the enemy Lantern had slept whilst Kilowog had been watching him.

“Who cares,” Kilowog replied gruffly before he stormed into Razer's cell, easily walking through the green cellbars Aya had constructed. “You like looking at that stuff Poozer, you proud of what you did?” Kilowog snapped. 

Razer didn’t respond, he didn’t blink; instead, with a heavy look in his eyes he just continued to watch the destruction of Shyir Revs planet once more. 

Kilowog took a menacing step forward, Arley leaned forward but Hal held his hand out in front of her, Kilowog had been a Lantern longer than either of them, he was good— one of the best —at what they did. 

“How many of you Red Lanterns are out there, and why are you hunting Green Lanterns!” Kilowog snatched Razer up into the air by his shoulders but the Red Lantern— instead of struggling in the Bolvaxians grip —just hung there, limply.

Kilowog slammed Razer into a wall; “Answer me!”

Hal and Arley sprung forward, just as Kilowog had, they easily bypassed the glowing green cell bars.

Razer had killed Shyir Rev, and maybe Razer hadn’t slit the Lanterns throat or bludgeoned the Corpsmen to death but he was the reason Shyir was dead and a little girl would be growing up without her father and for that Arley did want to see Razer punished— she wanted his blood just as much as Kilowog and Hal —but not if it meant going into the fight against the Red’s blind.

“Easy there Kilowog,” Hal said, “This thing’s a rental, remember?” 

With a growl in Hal’s direction, and without looking at Razor, Kilowog, tossed the Red Lantern aside before he stormed out. Arley was quick to sidestep her former Training Sergeant; Razer— who had landed on the floor of his cell —pushed himself up onto his elbows and Hal, who had taken a step forward, looked down at the alien.

“The Red Lanterns abandoned you Razer, they left you for dead, I think that calls for a little payback. Don’t you?” Hal wondered, “Help us. Tell us what you know.”

“No,” Razer said sharply; he looked up at Arley and Hal and though he looked resolute in his answer, he looked burdened too. He looked remorseful, “I do hate the Red Lanterns for abandoning me-for what they’ve made me, but that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped hating Green Lanterns, it just means I have more people to hate.”

“Fine then,” Hal snapped and he turned, Arley stepped back as Hal passed through Aya’s construct but she paused and unlike Hal she stayed inside the cell.

“Arley,” Hal said as he paused just outside the bars, waiting for Arley, but Arley, with a sharp glare directed at Razer looked down at the alien and ignored the man. 

“If you were so ready to kill a colony of innocents because of your hatred for us Green Lanterns, why the hell aren’t you just as ready to tell us what we want to know-what you know, since Red Lanterns are just more people for you to hate it shouldn’t really make a difference to you.”

Razers jaw clicked as he clenched it but he didn’t respond and after a beat of silence, Arley spun on her heel.

She followed Hal back to the Interceptors cockpit, Kilowog was already there waiting for them— sitting in his seat on the left of the cockpit —with the three holographic images of Guardians Scar, Appa Ali Apsa and Gnathet bearing down upon him.

“Lanterns Hal Jordan, Arley Gluck, glad of you two to have joined us,” Ganthet said. Appa Ali Apsa let out an indigent puff of air.

Hal and Arley bowed their heads respectfully at the Guardians holographic image; Hal took a seat in the captain's chair and Arley sat on the right of the cockpit, where the weapons console was.

“The Council has come to a majority decision, you-Hal Jordan are hereby forth Captain of the Interceptor,” Ganthet said.

“Need I remind everyone in this room that Hal Jordan stole the Interceptor?” Appa Ali Apsa said.

“Appa,” Ganthet said chidingly, “They are our only true line of defense in the Frontier and besides, at this distance, there is little we can do to punish Jordan anyway.” Appa Ali Apsa’s top lip twitched into a snarl.

“Then we continue to be of one mind,” Guardian Scar said.

“Maybe, but only under protest,” Appa Ali Apsa said snidely, without so much a look in her fellow Guardians' direction, Scar continued on.   
  
“The Crew of the Interceptor is tasked with gathering intelligence on the Red Lantern threat and taking reasonable—” she stressed with a sharp look at the three Lanterns, “—Action to slow their advance.”

“What is the status of the Red Lanterns ring?” Appa Ali Apsa asked. 

“Safe,” Arley said, “We have it locked away in a status box.”

Arley moved to the panel closest to the ship's windshield and with a press of a button the ring— inside of the status box it had been placed inside —emerged from one of the ship's cockpit panels. 

“The ring doesn’t take up much room but unfortunately Razer dose, what do you suggest we do with him?”

“Even you know your duty Hal Jordan, do it,” Appa Ali Apsa sternly said before the feed shut off and the holograms faded; Hal’s shoulders pushed backwards and a dark look fell over his face and Arley, who knew exactly what the Guardian had meant, felt her stomach twist and for the first time in days it wasn’t because of her morning sickness.

Arley wanted blood— she wanted justice for Shyir Rev —but she also knew there was a difference between killing someone in battle and shooting them like a dog in their cell.

Arley turned to look at Kilowog; the Bolvaxian looked hesitant but resolute, he looked as all Lanterns did when given a task they didn’t want, like he would complete it and carry the burden with him until the day he died.

Kilwogo started to move from his seat only to pause, half hunched over when Hal shot to his feet.

“Aya, please locate a prison.” Arley and Kilowog, who’d fallen back into his seat, both spun in Hal’s direction. “What?” Hal blinked innocently— too innocently —at Arley and Kilowog, “It’s not like we can just drop Razer at a handy little Lantern Science-cell.” 

“Jordan,” Kilowog said cautiously, “You heard Appa Ali Apsa—”

“—Yeah, he told me to do my duty and that’s to catch and imprison the bad guys, not to execute them.” Arley’s mouth twitched up into a smile; it wasn’t because he was the first human Lantern in over Nortz knew how long, Hal Jordan was the best of them because he had a heart of gold.

Because he was good.

“The council will have your ass for this Hal,” Arley mused.

“Yeah well, when aren’t they mad at me?” Hal resorted, “Aya have you located a prison?”

“Frontier Lanterns use privatized penitentiaries, I can compile a list of them if you’d like?”

“Not needed, just somewhere nearby,” Hal replied to the navicomputer. 

“And not too nice,” Kilowog added on, a few seconds later Aya let out a beeping sound,

“Penitentiary located; the Lighthouse. Coordinates are locked.” 

“Wonderful, thank you Aya. Buckle up crew, for the next hour we’re officially a prison rig.”

…

When the Lighthouse— a floating penitentiary that was located inside of a hollowed asteroid that could be found floating throughout the Maelstrom, a massive asteroid belt —had finally come into view it was Arley who stood up first.

“I’ll get Razer,” she said easily. 

“Wait, wait-hold on, maybe you should let Kilowog or me do that,” Hal said. Both he and Kilowog had been like this— overbearing —the past few days; she’d had to fight to be allowed to watch over the Red Lantern and Arley got it— she did, she understood —but just as she was pregnant, at the end of the day she was still a Green Lantern. 

“You’re kidding me, Hal, the guy doesn’t have his ring-the baby and I will be fine.”

“You’d still be able to take someone without your ring, so would Kilowog and so would I,” Hal said.

“Yeah I would, but in case you’re forgetting Razer’s not just taking on someone, he’s taking on an armed and ready vetterated Green Lantern. I’ll be fine.” _Trust me_ — Wally’s last words —caught in her throat. Arley blinked; she didn’t need herself tearing up when she was trying to get Hal to allow her access to the prisoners. 

If she cried now Hal wouldn’t let her off the Interceptor until the baby was born. 

“You’re sure?” Kilowog asked. Wordlessly, Arley nodded; Kilowog looked at Hal, “Let the kid get the Red.” 

“Fine-but one wrong move and you call us,” Hal said. 

“Of course,” Arley nodded before she flew out of the cockpit and through the ship, back to the Interceptors brig where Razer, once more perched on the cell's tiny, pull out bed, was watching the destruction of Shyir Rev’s world. 

The Red Lanterns' eyes weren’t cold, and they weren’t callous or glee filled either as they watched the planet implode; they were dark and remorseful but also unwavering. 

“Have you come to kill me?” Razer asked as Arley stood outside his cell.

“No,” Arley said, “Hal, Kilowog and I are dropping you off at a prison, the Guardians have already found you guilty on Oa-you’re to serve your sentence out here.” 

“Fools,” Razer scoffed, “For what I have done you should execute me.” They should; and if he still had his ring and had a fighting chance Arley would, but he didn’t and so she wouldn’t. 

Arley was a killer— she did what she had to, to protect the innocent —but she wasn’t a monster, it’d taken her years to figure that out and come to terms with it; it was a fact that some days she still struggled with.

“Stand up and put your wrists together in front of you, no sudden movements.” Arley had transported prisoners before, she’d handed them off to Vox and the other Lanterns who were charged with the Science-cells that were on Oa and littered throughout the rest of the thirty-six hundred other sectors.

Wordlessly, Razer complied and a glowing green construct shot out from Arley’s ring and weaved itself through the bars of Razer's cell; shackles wound themselves around Razer’s arms and the aliens shoulders dropped as the weight settled around his wrists.

The bars of his cell faded and Arley frowned at the Red Lantern; there were a thousand things Arley could say to the alien in front of her, a thousand and one questions she could ask, but instead she breathed. “Come on, the Warden is meeting us outside.”

And compliantly, Razer followed.

Hal and Kilowog were waiting for Arley and the captured Red Lantern, the pair had their arms crossed over their chests and Kilowog’s top lip had curled into a snarl once Arley had turned the corner of the ship's corridor with their prisoner. 

“Last chance to do some good Razer, how many Red Lanterns are out there,” Hal said, Razer’s eyes narrowed but his lips just pressed more firmly together, with a sigh Hal turned and as the ships door slowly began to open Hal, lead Arley and Razer out of thip as Kilowog trailed behind; trapping Razer between the three of themselves. 

As the three Lanterns stepped onto the platform of the prison's docking bay Arley felt a chill run up her spine, her heart sputtered in her chest and something under her skin crawled. There was something wrong— off —about the Lighthouse.

Hal looked around at the Lighthouses docking bay, “Jesus Kilowog, Aya really took you at your word about the nothing to nice thing, huh?”

“What? It’s not that bad.” Kilowog blinked as he breathed shallowly; with a cursory glance over her shoulder Arley knew the Bolvaxian was anxious. 

“Not that bad, this place gives me the creeps,” Hal responded. “It’s a dark, dank, reclusive hole filled with—”

“—Spiders,” Arley said interrupted as her eyes grew wide.

“Actually I was going to say rats-oh, wow, okay,” Hal gapped just like Arley his eyes grew wide at the sight of two large, spider-like alien beings; the spider-like aliens carried sharp spears twice the size of Arley in their hands and their pincers clicked together as they walked.

The two spiders hissed threatening as a third came up behind them, though unlike the other two spider-like aliens this one used his spear as a walking stick. He had a thick robe drawn over his head and nearly over his eyes.

“Well, well, well,” the spider-like alien said, “Green Lanterns, it’s certainly been a long time since we have hosted a prisoner for our esteemed colleges in Justice.” The spider-like alien drew closer, he past by the other two of his kind and stopped only a few steps away from Arley and Hal. 

“I take it you’re the warden?” Hal asked. The spider-like alien nodded.

“I am Myglom. I operate this prison on behalf of the Spider Guild, and it appears you have something for me?” Myglom said practically giddy as he eyed Razer, over Arley’s head.

“This is Razer,” Arley said as she gave the lime that connected her ring and Razer’s shackles a light tug, “Sergeant Kilowog has a chip that holds evidence of his crime against sien—”

“—Oh!” Mygolm said loudly, cutting Arley off as he wormed his way between Hal and Arley, only to quickly cozy up to Razer’s side; Kilowog took two steps back and then one to the side. “I’m quite sure he’s guilty, you Green Lanterns seem like a competent bunch. But don’t you worry about Razer here, no one has ever escaped this facility-I’m very proud of that. Though what I am even more proud of is our rehabilitation program.”

“Oh?” Arley blinked.

“You’ll find that nearly a hundred percent of our—” Myglom paused, his pincers clicked together, “—Guests never return to a life of crime.” 

That didn’t seem possible— unless of course the Spider Guild Myglom worked for was using some kind of mind control —Arley opened her mouth only for Kilowot to cut her off.

“Well I’m sold.” Kilowog said, “Myglom, we hear by officially turn over custody of the Red Lantern Razer to your care.”

Arley’s construct dropped and the two spider guards that had come into the docking bay with Myglom rushed forward.

Arley, with anxiety flowing through her veins, had to remind herself that the two spider-like aliens were guards, that they weren’t there to hurt her— the baby —or her two father figures.

Each guard took one of Razer’s arms and yanked the depowered Red Lantern forward; the enemy Lantern didn’t struggle in the guards grip and instead simply allowed himself to be dragged forward. 

“That’s one Red Lantern down,” Hal murmured.

“And a lot more where he came from,” Kilowog said, spinning on the heel of his foot and heading back towards the Interceptor.

Arley followed after the Bolvaxian to pause when she caught sight of Hal, half turned and watching Razer and the guards disappear behind the slowly closing doors. 

“Hal,” Arley called, her brows had knitted together and Hal turned back in the direction of the ship; she looked at her adoptive father, “What's wrong?”

Hal blinked; “Uh, nothing-nothing, I was just thinking. Come on we need to figure out a game plan.” Hal placed a hand on Arley’s shoulder and the two human Lanterns quickly reboarded the Interceptor, Kilowog was already in the cockpit waiting for them.

“Can we get out of this place already?” Kilowog wondered, Arley quirked a brow up.

“Why is it creepy?” Hal took his spot in the captains seat and Arley took her usual seat on the right of the ship.

“No,” Kilowog denied as he spun to face the panel in front of him, “Just want to get a move on kicking some more Red ass, that’s all.”

The ship began to rise. 

“Right,” Arley nodded. Soon enough the Lanterns and the borrowed-Guardian’s ship had left the Lighthouses docking bay and shot, once more off into space. Kilowog sat back in his seat as Hal bowed his head to punch in coordinates. 

Arley, as her nerves settled, closed her eyes for a second and leaned back against her chair.

“I don’t know about you two but I’m sure going to be able to sleep a whole lot easier without that guy on—” Kilowog stopped talking, Arley’s eyes poked open. 

“Did you see that?” Kilowog asked. Hal looked up; Arley looked quizzically in her old Training Sergeant direction. 

“See what?” Arley asked.

“What, out the window? In space?” Hal wondered before he once more bowed his head. Something quickly moved downwards across the windshield and Arley’s eyes widened; _What the kriff is that?_

“There! There is it again!” Kilowog cried out as he jumped to his own feet as whatever was on the front of the ship once more darted across the ship's windshield. 

“Chayara’s soul,” Arley muttered and Kilowog’s head snapped in her direction, as Hal flew from his spot in the captain's chair and stood next to Kilowog, the pilot peered out into the dark void of space. 

“I’m not seeing anything.”

“The kid did!” Arley nodded,

“He’s right Hal, something’s out there.” Hal let out a puff of air and waited for something to appear, only for nothing to dart across the ship.

“I am not crazy,” Kilowog snapped when Hal peeked over at the Bolvaxian, “There’s something out there.”

Hal patted Kilowogs back almost condescendingly; Hal turned only, just as his back faced the windshield whatever it was once more darted across the length of the ships outside and Kilowog roughly grabbed Hal’s wrist.

“Look!” 

“What is up with you?” 

Whatever had been running across the ship landed roughly and flatly against the ship's windshield. All three Lanterns let out a startled scream; not so much at the sight of it— though whatever alien had attached itself to the ship looked far too much like one of the face-huggers from those Predator movies Dick loved to watch —but rather at it’s sudden appearance. 

“I told you!” Kilowog snapped as he took two steps back and raced towards the cockpit door, 

“Not the time Kilowog,” Hal replied as he and Arley followed behind. The three Lanterns, bathed in a protective green light, flew out of the ship, “Fan out, out hitchhiker is here somewhere-Ars, you stick with me.”

For a second Arley wanted to argue, she wanted to tell Hal that she could handle herself, but she knew it wasn’t the time, so instead, with a quiet grunt, she nodded and flew after her adoptive father. 

Arley and Hal flew across the ship’s left wing, the search light shooting out from their rings scanned every inch of the ship as they flew to scan the underside of the ship; with their backs together and each ready for some kind of attack Arley and Hal floated upwards, to where the light the ships engine gave off was. 

“Hal!” Arley hissed when she saw the tiny alien perched on the ship, bathed in the green light the engine gave off. Arley shot off after the alien and Hal followed after her; the alien stopped shot and tried to claw at the Interceptors outside as he went to turn. 

Shooting out in front of her, intent to cut the tiny, hitchhiker off, Arley watched as Hal sped up, only to watch him crash into Kilowog, who had sped around from underneath the hull of the ship. The two Lanterns tumbled against the ship and Arley, with a concerned look over her shoulder, formed a large, flowing green butterfly next from her ring.

“Okay buddy, fun time is over,” Arley said and the alien let out a tiny squeak as her arm swung out; the alien leapt away from her and just managed to escape the net as Arley brought it down. She could hear Hal and Kilowog as they began shouting at each other,

“—It’s staying one step ahead!”

“Why are you yelling at me!” Kilowog shouted back. The alien vaulted itself over the net as Arley swung wide and attempted to catch the small creature like that.

“To cause a distraction so I can do this!” Hal shouted back and just as Arley’s arm had once more raised, the rope that had shot out of Hal’s ring, wrapped itself around the arm— tentacle—of the alien and tugged him forward. 

The alien, wrapped itself around Hal’s arm and Kilowog didn’t hesitate before he grabbed one of the aliens' tentacles and pulled; prying it off of Hal, only for the alien to let out a pain filled screech as the two Lanterns did so.

“Kilowog drop him!” Arley said as she raised her ring; the moment Kilowog dropped the tentacle he had been holding a bright, glowing green square shot out of Arley’s ring and lodged itself on Hal’s arm, around the alien.

The alien let out a loud wheezing sound as Hal tugged his arm free and as the Lantern took two steps back from the alien and Arley, as she got closer, looked cautiously at what she had trapped inside her construct the alien started to thrash against the walls of her construct. 

Arley knew aliens could come in all shapes and sizes, but still, as the alien in her construct let out a loud cry, Arley couldn’t help but wonder; _What the kriff did we just catch?_

…

Some time later, back in the ship's brig, with the alien that had stowed away on the outside of the interceptor behind the bars of the cell Razer had only just been locked up in, Arley, Hal and Kilowog all peered down at the alien they had captured. 

Arley stepped forward, closer to the cell bars; she was the bad cop, Hal was the good cop and Kilowog if need be, was the worse cop. 

“Okay squid start talking,” Arley said, “Hal and Kilowog here love seafood.” The tiny alien ducked his head and shuffled back, timidly.

“No! Goggan cannot go back, will not go back!” The alien shouted half crazed; the alien came forward towards the cell bars, “Destroy me, eat me, but do not take me back to the grim rock to live all days like my worst!” 

“Great,” Kilowog moaned, “Ugly and nuts!”

“You escaped from the Spider Guilds prison?” Hal asked. 

“Yes, with this,” the alien— Goggan —said with a giggle as he pointed at his tooth, “Goggan tunneled—” he leaped forward; none of the Lanterns flinched back, “—Twelve years, it took Goggan. Keep me sane, sane! Goggan tunneled to the air shaft and then yous came! Sane!”

“You shouldn’t have bothered nut job,” Kilowog said, “You’re just going right back to prison where you belong.”

Goggans single eye widened and the tiny aliens tentacle’s wound together pleadingly. “No! Please, mercy! Mercy! Not back to nightmare rock, Goggan lives his pain there! It’s torture, not the torture rock! Goggan is both a child and old! It is the worst of fates, again, again, and again,” Goggan sobbed.

 _Torture_ ; Arley knew what torture was she’d been seventeen when the Green Laira had showed her how to make even the toughest of Thangrians talk, in a war against the Sinestro Corps it was something Arley— and the other Corps Members —had needed to know, even if the thought of actually using what they had learned sickened them.

Threatening the Krolotean on Rimbor with torture just several months ago flashed through the Lanterns mind and Arley’s gut twisted at the memory. Arley had felt like a monster when she had told the Krolotean that his life was in danger; that in that moment she was more than just judge, jury and executioner. 

Arley bent down, “Hey-hey, Goggan, look at me.” Goggan, with a wet eye looked at her, “No one is going to tourture you again, okay?” 

“You mean that? Oh thank you!” Goggan sobbed, 

“Arley,” Kilowog said gruffy and Arley, still kneeling, turned and looked up at her fellow Lantern. “An escaped convict will say anything to stay out of prison, you know that.”

“And if it’s true?” Hal wondered, “If the Spider Guild is torturing their prisoners?”

“Oh well then, Razer is worse than a criminal, if the Spiders want to torture him, then I say let them.”

“You can’t mean that!” Arley shouted, the pregnant Lantern got to her feet.

“Why not!” Kilowog snapped, “He destroyed an entire planet-killed a Corpsman, that we know of! For all we know the Red could have more than Shyir Rev’s body on him!”

“Because it’s wrong!” Arley was a killer, she was a soldier but she refused to be a monster. It would have been one thing to strike Razer down in the heat of battle but shooting him in his cell like a dog— like the Council had wanted them to do —condoning his torture— ignoring the fact it was happening, allowing it —that was something else. 

“He’s a murderer! Would have been a mass murderer if we hadn’t saved those colonists!” 

“Maybe so, but it’s our job to serve and protect the universe, even if they’re criminals,” Hal said as he moved to stand next to Arley. 

“Intriguing,” Aya said, “But criminals must be punished. Surly prisoners deserve their fate?”

“They deserve justice, which involves punishment, but not torture, torture isn’t justice. It isn’t punishment, it’s wrong,” Hal explained strongly to the navicomputer. He turned to Kilowog, “Look we have to take-this—” he said motioning to a thankful and still weeping Goggan, “—Back so why not have a look around?”

Kilowog sighed.

“Okay, but even if there is something wrong Myglom’s not going to show us. The minute they see us coming, they’re going to clean up their act.”

“That’s why they’re not going to see us,” Hal smirked.

Arley’s ears perked up. Kilowog groaned; he’d known Hal for eleven years, he knew where the human pilot was going.

“No, no-don’t say it.”

“We’re going to break into the prison.”

…

Hal and Kilowog would be going— breaking into —the Lighthouse; Arley however, would not be. Instead, as Hal and Kilowog waited by the ship’s hatch, the pregnant Lantern flew the Interceptor long the asteroid the prison had been built into, avoiding all the searchlights as she searched for a safe and hidden place to land. 

“Are you two ready?” Arley wondered worriedly into her ring as she gently set the ship down onto the asteroid. 

“Are we ever?” Kilwoog mused gruffly into his ring. Arley heard Hal snicker;

“Don’t be like that-and stop worrying Ars, Kilowog and I are just taking a quick look around; if we’re not back in time for dinner start without us, okay?”

“Oh?”

“Well I mean, we’re probably dead at that point so—”

“—Jordan!” 

“—Hal!” Kilowog and Arley chided simultaneously; Hal’s laughter rang out through the line.

“I’m joking-Kilowog and I will be fine, we’ll touch base in an hour.”

“Forty-five minutes and set a timer, if I don’t hear from you then I’m coming in,” Arley said sharply; her hand pressed flat against her stomach. 

“You don’t need to do that kid, we’ll be fine.” Hal said, “Now be good and don’t eat our little hitchhiker there if you start getting cravings, okay?”

“Goodbye Hal,” Arley said, ending the call between their three rings leaving her alone in the cockpit of the Interceptor with the one thing she’d been trying not to think too hard about since finding out. 

Arley didn’t hate the fetus growing inside of her, she didn’t resent it either; how could she when a month and a half ago the baby inside her was all she was dreaming of one day having— besides the baby was as much a part of Wally as it was a part of her and how could she ever hate the last thing she had left of Wally —but knowing that she’d give birth in space, that she’d have to raise her baby without Wally by her side, it was too much to think about.

Green Lanterns weren’t supposed to cower in the face of fear but this— the baby and all the thoughts that came with it —terrified her.

What if Arley was a terrible mother; what if, without meaning too, she ended up like the best of her foster parents, neglectful and uncaring. What if she couldn’t love the child enough, the way the baby deserved? What if she died?

Green Lanterns didn’t live long lives, there was a war— two wars now; against the Reds and the Yellows —raging and what if one day, Arley just didn’t come home? Her child wouldn’t be alone, Arley knew Hal and John and Guy— that Conner and Artemis and Dick and the others —would care for the child, that they would never fall into the system like she had, but still.

What if she gave birth and what if her child was forced to grow up without her? The way she had been forced to grow up without either of her parents.

 _No,_ Arley told herself, _No, just stop-think of something else. Think of-Goggan_.

Arley got to her feet; the half crazed alien hadn’t gotten around to telling Arley, Hal and Kilowog just what kind of torture the Spider Guild used on it’s prsioners, just that it was a nightmare. 

“Green Lantern Arley, where are you going?” Aya’s voice wondered as Arley exited the cockpit.

“The brig, I thought maybe I could get some actual information from Goggan,” Arley replied.

“Are you sure that is wise; Green Lanterns Jordan and Sergeant Kilowog might not approve of you visiting the prisoner alone in your condition.”

“Maybe not Aya, but fun fact about us Lanterns, nothing stops us from doing our duty-not even our conditions,” Arley said. “Besides, I’m not alone, you’re here.” 

“I suppose so,” Aya said in return as Arley made her way down to the brig. There she found Goggan pacing around his cell, humming, happily. 

“Goggan, hey,” Arley greeted. 

“Miss. Green Girl Lantern, Goggan is very much happy to see you; Goggan is in your debt!” The tiny, squid-like alien shouted. Arley smiled kindly at the alien.

“Then maybe you wouldn’t be opposed to helping me out?” 

“Of course not, Goggan lives to fill hit debts, lives to help the Green Girl Lantern who has saved Goggan from a life of torturous nightmares!” Arley sat down in front of Goggans cell with her legs crossed over one another,

“That’s sort of what I wanted to talk to you about Goggan. When you say that the prison was a place of ‘tortuous nightmares’ what do you mean by that?” 

Goggan grimaced, “Goggan means what he says, Goggan lives his worst day there, his pain, as a child and as old!” 

Arley frowned confusedly at Goggan, “Goggan I have no idea what that means.”

“How can you not know!” Goggan shrieked, “With their devices Goggan must live again and again reliving what he has already done! It is with those that Goggan lives in pain! But sane!” Goggan cried, “Goggan is still sane!”

Arley brows knitted together as she tried to understand Goggan; Devices— the Spider Guild used some sort of device on the prisoners —that made the imprisoned criminals relive something painful. 

“Hey Goggan I’m-I need to ask you something painful okay, you don’t have to answer it but it would really help me if you did, okay?”

“Goggan does not want more pain,” the escaped alien criminal said meekly and Arley shot the squid-like creature a sympathetic smile.

“I know you don’t bud, but I have to ask you this. It’s important,” Arley pressed and with his tentacles wrung anxiously in front of himself Goggan nodded. “Thank you-now, when the Spider Guild put this device on you, what do you see?”

Goggans lilac pupil shrunk and he curled into himself; “Goggan does not want to talk about it, for Goggan that day is pain! Goggan does not want that day to play in his brain anymore-over and over, again and again all Goggan ever sees is that!”

“Hey, hey,” Arley said loudly over Goggans cried, “Come on Goggan, it’s okay-I promise it’s going to be okay. You don’t have to think about that day ever again if you don’t want to.”

Goggan looked at Arley unsurely, like what she had just told him was all some cruel trick and in a few minutes time he would once more have to relive whatever the Spider Guild had been forcing him to experience. 

“Green Lantern Arley,” Aya called out. 

Arley turned her head away from Goggan, “Yeah, Aya?”

“It has been forty-five minutes and fifteen seconds. Neither Lanterns Jordan or Kilowog have made an attempt to reach me or yourself.”

“Then they are dead by now,” Goggan said, “We must leave. Leave before we are found!”

“We’re not leaving Hal or Kilowog,” Arley said with a pointed finger in Goggans direction; though worry pooled in her gut. It was only fifteen seconds past their check in time, Arley knew Hal and Kilowog, they wouldn’t just not give her an update. 

Goggan let out a whimper; “If they are not dead yet then they will be soon. Worse than dead!” 

“Look I’ll call them, okay-I’m sure they’re fine,” Arley told Goggan as she stood up from the floor. She raised her ring to her lips; “Call Hal Jordan.” Arleys ring brightened, and a beat passed and then a second and the light of the ring dimmed.

“Dead!” Goggan called out hysterically. Arley threw the squid-like creature a dark look and Goggan, letting out a shrill, squeak, ducked his head.

“Ring call Kilowog.” Once more Arley’s ring lit up, and then after a moment, the light of her ring died; a ball formed in Arley’s throat. Maybe Goggan was right to worry.

Arley was pregnant, she had the baby to think about; but she also had Kilowog and Hal in the thick of danger and their lives to think about as well.

Arley had the baby to think about; _Hal and Kilowog could be dead,_ Arley thought. _They need help._

“Aya I’m going after Hal and Kilowog.”

“Green Lantern Arley is that not an unwise decision in your condition?”

It was.

“Like I said before Aya, nothing stops a Green Lantern from doing their duty, not even our conditions,” Arley said as she started towards the door of the brig; “Goggan I’ll be back soon. If I’m not back in a few hours, tunnel out of here and stowaway on the next ship that leaves this rock, okay?”

If Goggan replied Arley didn’t hear it; the brigs door slammed shut behind her and the Lantern was already halfway out of the ship before Aya stopped her in her tracks; “If you are going then I will accompany you Green Lantern Arley. After all, a Green Lantern does not allow their condition to hinder them from duty.”

Touched, Arley smiled up at the ship's ceiling. Aya reminded Arley of Red Tornado, back when he was her and the team's den-mother. 

“Aya you can’t, if a Spider sees the ship—”

“—I will not be inside the ship,” Aya replied smoothly. Green Lights shot out of the camera Aya used to monitor the ship's main entrance hatch. 

Jumping, as a ball of crackling light floated down next to her and the lights of the ship dimmed Arley’s eyes widened. 

“What the fuck,” she breathed. “Aya?” The ball of light seemed to crackle in response and Arley blinked. “Right, cool-you can do that. Awesome,” Arley said to herself; this wasn’t like Red Tornado whatsoever. 

The ships door fell open and quickly the glowing green light that was Aya led Arley out of the ship, through a door and— once Aya had bonded to the open circuitry that ran along the walls of the Spider Guilds prison —led Arley down a series of cavernous corridors.

Aya led Arley down a hole the Spider Guild must use instead of stairs— as it only led to another corridor —only to stop when they were met with very familiar, eerie looking crystals.

They were the kind of crystals that powered the Sinestro Corps power batteries; the kind that gave the Yellow Lanterns the power to easily break through a Green Lanterns construct.

Arley could remember the first time she saw those crystals, she’d been fifteen and they’d been sparkling over Superboys pod back at what was then Cadmus Laboratories. 

At the time the crystals over Conners pod had nullified the powers of her ring, turning it into nothing more than just a normal ring; Arley peaked around the corner of the corridor— and saw more and yellow crystals littering the walls and floor of the cavernous hallways —and she knew, that like her ring had been six years ago, Hal and Kilowog rings had been affected.

Her ring would be affected if she went any further; she’d be unarmed and in enemy territory. Arley knew she should go back to the ship; that she was already a terrible mother for not having stayed inside the ship and the fears she refused to face were already coming to fruition, but nonetheless, Arley persisted, only to stop when she realized Aya was no longer trailing through the open circuitry of the wall.

“Aya? Are you coming?”

“I cannot,” Aya replied, and as if to demonstrate that she could no longer follow, the green light that was Aya attempted to move further down the circuitry, only to be unable to. Aya couldn’t go where the yellow crystals were. “There seems to be something stopping me.”

“Right,” because when could anything ever be easy; “See if you can find another way around; if you can’t find me or Kilowog or Hal go back to the ship and fly somewhere safe okay? I don’t want anymore escapees finding you.” 

“I will not leave you,” Aya said, “You told me Green Lanterns risk their lives for others, I will not abandon you, or Lanterns Hal Jordan or Kilowog.”

Arley felt the tips of her lips tug upwards. 

“Okay,” Arley nodded, “Fine. Still, see if you can find another way around, if you can’t go back to the ship and see if there’s any more Frontier Lanterns in the vicinity, if there are, call them and then wait for backup. We both don’t need to get captured.”

Aya let out a humming sound and so Arley, as the green light that was Aya shot back the way they both had come, waited until she could no longer see the green glow of Aya’s light before she turned forward and slowly crept along the corridors. 

Arley stopped when she came to a cliff, high above the ground; she could see not only the Warden Myglom and several dozen other members of the Spider Guild, but Hal and Kilowog, both hanging upside down and wrapped in silk cocoons. 

Arley was outnumbered, she didn’t have her ring or any of the abilities her ring gave her and she was nearly three months pregnant. Perhaps it was just the effects of the crystals or maybe it was finally belated mother instinct, but the odds of a fight had never scared Arley the way the odds of this one did.

“Enough!” Myglom cried out to the other Guild members, “These two need but little tenderizing, Green Lantern is better eaten fresh!”

She could die, she could lose the baby, Hal and Kilowog could die; they could all be eaten alive by spider-like aliens. 

Arley would have rather been facing an actual Yellow Lantern. 

But nonetheless, as Myglom descended down the silk of Hals cocoon, Arley backed up from the ledge— and as Myglom came to a stop in front of her adoptive father —with a war cry, Arley jumped. With her arms out high in front of her, and her legs stiff and straight Arley dropped through the air.

“Arley!” The younger Lantern heard Hal cry as she tackled Myglom out of the air, and away from him. Arley grappled with the giant spider-like alien in the air, trying to position him below her, only for something— a construct; a glowing, red construct —to snatch her out of the air and drop her gently on the silken nets that were below Hal and Kilowog.

Myglom moaned loudly as he hit the rocky ground.

Razer, wielding the red ring that Arley had last seen in the status box back on the Interceptor, rushed into the room and used his ring to not only blast the two other Guild members that had been on the same ledge as the Warden but to set both Hal and Kilowog free from their cocoons.

Hal landed on the same silken net as Arley had; “What are you doing here!”

“Saving you,” Arley said as a dozen of the guards tackled Razer out of the air; only for the Red Lantern to blow them back with a wave of red energy. A dozen of the spiders hit the ground, bleeding blue as they let out, loud, pain filled hisses.

“When I told Aya to get back up this is so not what I meant,” Arley muttered as she, Hal and Kilowog lowered themselves to the ground.

“How in Nortz’ name did Aya set him free!” Kilowog snapped; Arley threw her hands up in front of herself. A half hour ago Arley didn’t know that Aya could apparently leave the ship in a glowing ball of light; now, Arley refused to speculate on what the AI navicomputer could or couldn’t do.

If it suddenly turned out Aya could turn the ship into a transformer and they could battle Red Lanterns like that Arley wouldn’t be surprised. 

Razer used a whip-like construct to pull one Spider Guild member forward and violently smash him against another Guild member. 

Hal reached over and grabbed Arley, he tucked the Lantern angst his side and smirked impishly at Kilowog;.

“Are you seriously going to stand being saved by a Red Lantern?”

Kilowogs eyes narrowed and his ears tipped back.

“No.” 

Kilowog grabbed a stalagmite that stood idly nearby and broke it off from the ground, with a grunt Arley watched as Kilowog rushed forward, swinging the large, broken off rock the same way he would wield a hammer he had constructed. 

“Hey kid, where do you think Scary-and-In-Charge is going?” Hal wondered with an outstretched finger, Arley followed Hal’s pointed finger and saw Myglom limping towards the far off exit. 

“No idea-we better ask,” Arley replied; the two Lanterns— as Kilowog and Razer battled the rest of the Spider Guild —moved towards the exit, only to meet a bloody Myglom by the dark cavernous archway. The Warden relied heavily on the spear; before it had been a walking stick, now it was a crutch.

“You were going to leave without saying goodbye,” Hal said with his arms crossed over his chest. “I’m disappointed, I thought we had a better rapport than that.”

“No,” Myglom denied, “You have it all wrong Green Lantern.” 

One of Myglom’s hands shot out; Hal and Arley ducked, only for Arley to have to weave and dance out of the spider-aliens direction a second later as the blade of his spear came down upon her. 

Hal battled the flat of the blade away and Myglom lunged forward in his direction, his pincers out and snapping as Hal ducked. Hal moved forward, closer to Myglom and brought his hand up only to cry out in pain when his hand made contact with the Guild members thorax; Myglom swept Hal’s feet out from under him with the shaft of his spear. 

Myglom bared down at Hal with practically salivating pinchers and Arley, as Myglom leaned down in Hals direction, grabbed the spider-aliens spear. Hal gripped at Mylgom’s pincers as Arley wrested the spear away from him. 

“Hal!” Arley shouted; with thirteen years of partnership between them Arley didn’t need to explain the plan to Hal because just from Arley’s tone of voice the older Lantern knew what she was trying to convey. 

Once Hal had jumped out of Arley’s way, the young, dark haired Lantern brought the blade of the spear down onto the Wardens head, embedding it into the Guild members skull.

Blue blood dripped down the Wardens skull and as he fell, and Arley pulled the spear out of him, the spider-alien twitched; he continued to twitch until he stopped moving all together, until he stopped breathing. 

With the spear coated in blue, and her heart beating loudly in her ears, Arley turned to Hal; “You okay?”

“Yeah-you? The baby?” 

Arley blinked. 

“Fine, I-I’m fine, we’re fine. We should check on Kilowog and Razer.”

Hal nodded.

A moment later, by the time by the time Arley and Hal had made their way over to Kilowog a wave of red rolled over the three Green Lanterns; the three Lanterns turned to see the last of the Spider Guild piled around Razer and Razer, bathed in red breathing heavily before them.

When Arley went green it looked like she was made of green fire, like there wasn’t a person underneath; Razer looked like he was on fire. Though no part of him was brighter than his ring; looking like a red star, the Red Lanterns ring shinned brightly on his finger.

Razer raised his hand and Hal pushed Arley behind him and Kilowog, with the broken piece of stalagmite in his hands, stepped in front of Hal. 

Only Razer didn’t attack the three Green Lanterns, whilst his ring hand had raised so had his other, and with an echoing, painfilled cry, Razer tore his ring off of his finger and collapsed onto the cavernous flooring. 

Kneeling before them, panting, Razer held the hand with his Red Lantern ring out for any of the three Lanterns to take and hesitantly Arley sidestepped Hal; she met Razers eyes. 

The dark repentful look in Razers eyes was still there, the dark self loathing glint hadn’t gone away, the only thing that had disappeared was the half crazed murderous look Arley had seen on the Red Lantern the first time they had fought. 

How many times had Arley seen that same dark look in her own eyes over the years? How many times had she avoided looking in the mirror just so that she could avoid seeing it?

Brushing Hal and Kilowog off, Arley walked up to the Red Lantern and slipped his ring into the palm of her right hand while she gently helped him to his feet with the left. 

Arley was a killer, but she wasn’t a monster; Razer was a murderer, but he wasn’t a monster. 

…

An hour or so Later, with the Red Lantern ring secretly in the square of Hal’s palm, and with Razer standing in front of them with his head hung low— Razer —Arley, Hal and Kilowog all stood in the prison's docking bay.

When Hal had called the Guardians to inform them of what had been going on in the Lighthouse Arley had thought Appa Ali Apsa was going to materialize in the Interceptor and throttle Hal; “ _You know imprisonment is not what the Council meant when we told you to do your duty, Lantern Hal Jordan!”_

“Myglom and his guards are in the jail cells!” Goggan said as he toddled into the docking bay, “Just like you wanted!”

“Thank you Goggan, the Guardians have dispatched a new Warden, he should be here in eighteen months but in the meantime I’m designating a temporary Warden,” Hal said. The Lantern took two steps forward and knelt before the tiny squid-like alien, “Congratulations Goggan, I’m leaving the prison in your capable hand-things?” 

Goggan, with his singular eye blown wide and his mouth open, slowly wrapped his tentacles around Hals outstretched hand and shook the Lanterns gloved hand.

“I trust you can free the prisoners from their cocoons?” Hal asked. Furiously, Goggan nodded.

“Yes!” He squeaked, “Yes of course! No one will ever be tortured here again!”

Kilowog snorted, his shoulder bumped gently against Arleys, “You know Hotshot—” Hal turned to look at Kilowog as he stood, “—I thought you were going to make Razer here the new Warden.”

“Are you crazy?” Hal asked, “I couldn’t possibly leave a Red Lantern in charge of this place.” Razer dipped his head forward and Hal raised his hand— the one holding Razer’s ring —out towards the Lantern, “Because he’s coming with us.”

Arley’s brows shot up, Razer was a Lantern killer, he was a Red Lantern but he had also been the only reason any of them had made it out of the battle alive; she looked to her adoptive father who smiled at her. Arley knew that smile, it was kind and arrogant, and all but said _‘Trust me’._

And she did, Arley might not have trusted Razor any farther than she could throw the alien with a dead ring but she trusted Hal Jordan with her life, so with a small smile of her own, she nodded and watched as Hal flicked the red power ring at the alien, and Razer, as he caught it, looked up at Hal; his eyes had gone wide with disbelief and his chest swelled with air. 

Hal smirked at the Red Lantern and Kilowog’s ears twitched as Razer grasped the ring in his hand.

“Welcome aboard Red,” Arley said with a nod before she started to nudge Kilowog back onto the ship; Green Lanterns were willful, which was just another, more polite way to say stubborn and Kilowog, was one of the most willful Green Lanterns Arley had ever met. 

“I cannot believe—” 

“—I know, I know,” Arley said, “But hey look at it this way, if he does betray us you can always tell Hal you told him so.” 

“I guess,” Kilowog grumbled as he clambered aboard the Interceptor. 

…

Later that night, when the ship was quiet and after Razer had been shown to his room, Arley, in the pitch black, laid in bed awake with her hand on her growing stomach. 

She probably shouldn’t have gone to look for Hal and Kilowog, she shouldn’t have fought Myglom; she’d put her baby at risk, but it wasn’t like she could have just left Hal and Kilowog to fend for themselves, she was still able to fight after all. 

Aniell; draped in darkness and without the steady sound of Wally’s heartbeat beating in her ears Arley needed to hear her rings voice, she needed Aniell.

But just like Wally, Aniell was gone, probably for good. 

Turning over in bed Arley thought of Wally, she thought of his vibrant green eyes and his bright smile and she refused to think how in six months time their child would be brought into a universe without him. How their child would never know him.

 _Please_ , Arley thought, _Please come back to me. Please._


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five — Into the Abyss**   
_**“"Am I allowed to be good and evil at the same time?"**_

It’d been two long weeks since Razer had joined the Interceptors crew and though Kilowog had always preached teamwork in boot camp— Kilowog always said that the only way a Lantern was going to come out the other side of a fight was if they trusted their fellow Corpsmen —neither he nor Razer had learned how to even tolerate being in the same room as the other.

Sometimes Kilowog, unprompted would say something cuttingly to the Red Lantern and sometimes Razer would shoot Kilowog such a dirty and dark look the Sergeant couldn’t just not respond to it leading to both Hal and Arley having to babysit their two crewmates.

Arley sat across from Razer in the Interceptors small dinning hall, her pasta from a can sat on the plate in front of her, half finished whilst Razors green alien-steak like food sat mostly eaten in front of him; the Red Lantern moved the bits of cut meat around on the plate in front of him as his blue eyes flickered between his meal and Arley.

They’d spoken a handful of times since Razer had come aboard and in all that time Arley had learned only a handful of things about the alien. The first was that Razer came from a war-torn planet called Volkreg and the second was that he had been a military man; respectively, Razer had learned that not only was she expecting, something he hadn’t commented on— even when he’d found out —but that on Earth both Arley and Hal were considered heroes. 

“Yes?” Arley asked the other Lantern with an arched brow, Razer pressed his lips together as her stomach churned; Aya said— after Arley had asked the AI more questioned about human pregnancies —that morning sickness usually ended around the start of the second trimester, something that Arley— who was only about nine weeks along —was still a month or so away from starting.

“Nothing,” Razer murmured before his eyes darted back down to his food; Arley looked at the Lantern disbelievingly.

Arley opened her mouth to call bullshit only to pause when the dining halls door opened and Kilowog, holding a bowl of still green worms walked into the room, as Kilowog walked further into the room— past Razer —the Green Lanterns elbow shot out Arley shot the other Green Lantern a dry and tired look.

“Serge!”

“What?” Kilowog blinked innocently as he took the seat next to Arley, “My arm slipped.”

Arley’s eyes narrowed, the word ‘Bullshit,’ balanced on the tip of her tongue; the Bolvaxians tiny pointed ears twitched atop his head. With a concerned frown, Kilowog spied her half-eaten plate of canned pasta, he opened his mouth to say something only to close it a second later as he turned to face his own plate of food.

A second later, with a pleased hum, Kilowog slammed himself face first into the bowl of green worms; Arley looked to her own plate of canned pasta as Razer, with a blank face continued to stare almost hauntingly at Kilowog as he ate from his bowl of worms. 

With teal colored worm juice coating his bottom lip and his teeth Kilowog— with narrowed and combative eyes —peeked up at Razer. 

“You got a problem Poozer?” Kilowog always called people Poozer but the way he said it this time, to Razer, made it seem like Poozer was no longer just a jeering insult— something to be shouted at White Circles and Rookies —but rather something reviled. 

“My only problem is that I dislike clumsy, seven foot pigs,” Razer sneered back. 

With a growl Kilowog lunged over the table at Razer. Their plates clattered loudly against the dining hall flooring as Kilowog grabbed the front of Razers Red Lantern uniform. The Bolvaxian pulled his other hand back whilst Razer scratched at Kilowogs wrist; Arley dove between the two aliens, trying to break them up.

“Hey!” Arley shouted as she tried to yank the front of Razer’s uniform free from Kilowogs tight grasp as she knew she’d never be able to uncurl Kilowogs fist. “Kilowog! Razer!” 

Behind her the door opened and Hal rushed forward; the pilot jumped into the fray next to Arley— closer to Kilowog —and set his flat palm against the aliens broad shoulder.

“Break it up!” Hal shouted, as Kilowog reluctantly let Razer’s uniform go. The two Lanterns settled on their feet on opposite sides of the table and Arley, as she rocked back on her heels next to her adoptive father— without even meaning to —placed her hand flat against her stomach in relief. “What did I say about killing each other!” 

“Come on Hal, we’re just fooling around,” Kilowog said gruffly with a sharp glare in Razer’s direction; Razer shot Kilowog a glare of his own.

“Look,” Hal sighed, “The ship’s too small for this nonsense, I want you two to shake hands, it’s an Earth custom to show no hard feelings.” Hal ordered the two in a fatherly sort of voice, one that made Arley crack a grin; how many times over the years had Hal made her shake hands with Roy— both the original and the clone version of the boy —when one of their friendly competitions had been taken a little too far?

Kilowog’s ears pressed back and the Bolvaxian snarled in Razer’s direction; Razer’s top curled upwards as well and Hal puffed his chest out as he shot Arley, a half apologetic look from the corner of his eyes.

“If you won’t do for the sake of the shake of the ship then do it for Arley,” Hal said and the female Lantern blinked at her sector leader, “We don’t need Arley or the baby caught in the middle of one of your fights, do we?”

Kilowog seemed to deflate and Razer, with a begrudging look on his face sucked in a deep breath of air; both aliens retook their seats; both Hal and Arley remained standing. Kilowog and Razer raised their hands— closed fists —and both, with hunched shoulders and displeased looks on their faces shook their fists— their hands —angrily at each other.

“Not like that,” Hal said whilst he grabbed both Kilowogs fist and Razer's fists in his hands.

Arley pressed the tips of her fingers to her lips, she knew Kilowog knew how to properly shake someone's hand; she had watched him intimidate Wally nearly six years ago when he had enveloped the speedsters hand in his. 

“Attention,” Aya said to the crew before Arley could lose herself to the memory of Wally; the camera stationed above the dining hall table lit up, “There is an incoming distress signal.” The blue holographic image of a small, bearded alien appeared over the table.

“This is Captain Gorey, of the container ship Provadon and I’ve struck a pinhole and I am unable to proceed. One of my engines has failed and the other is at full power but it’s just slowing the inevitable. I need help!” 

“Aya hold the transmission,” Kilowog ordered, Aya did and the blue hologram of the distressed Captain faded leaving only a thin beam of blue light to shine down onto the table top, “This could be a trap Hal. We get there and the disabled ship opens up and the Reds start pouring out. Between them and a pinhole we’d never make it out.”

“There are no Red Lanterns in this sector. It is not a trap,” Razer said; Arley’s ears perked up. 

“How would you know!” Kilowog snapped, Razer’s eyes narrowed and the aliens' sharp canines flashed as he snarled in the Bolvaxians direction.

“Because I was in charge of setting those traps,” Razer hostility replied. 

Arley held her hands out in front of her— between the Bolvaxian and the Volkreggan —as she turned to Kilowog. Razer was a Lantern killer, Shyir Rev hadn’t been his only victim but he was her crewmate now, her teammate, and since coming aboard the Interceptor he’d been nothing but quiet and polite except for when he was in Kilowog’s presence. 

“We’re out here to save lives, do you really want to take the chance that he isn’t telling the truth-what if he is and we leave him to be crushed to death?”

Kilowog pressed himself further against his seat. A beat passed and the largest of the Interceptors Lanterns nodded; Hal leaned forward and swiped through the line that was shining down onto the table.

“This is Hal Jordan of the Green Lantern Corps, we’re on our way sit tight.”

“Thank you!” The Captain cried out as his hologram quickly deteriorated; the four— forgetting about the food strewn across the ships flooring —got to their feet and all quickly rushed towards the cockpit. 

While Hal sat in his usual spot, in the Captain's seat, Razer took Kilowogs old seat on the right of the ship, manning the shields, and Kilowog manned the ship's weapons whilst Arley sat at the front of the ship, maintaining the ship's tractor beam. 

“Okay Aya how far are we from that pinhole?” Hal asked as he steered the ship in the direction of the Provadons coordinates. 

“One point ten terraquads and closing,” Aya answered.

“Cool,” Hal said, “And how far is that using the metric system?”

“Two-thousand and thirty-seven point-two meters.” Which meant they would be upon the Provadons coordinates in no time; Arley was the first to see the pinhole— a microscopic blackhole that was at the center of a whirlpool of energy —she was also the first to spot the Provadon when they approached the pinhole.

The ship was a junker; a long piece of nothing more than old rust and bolts. 

“That’s enough Aya,” Hal ordered, “We don’t want to get too close and pulled in ourselves. Captain, we're approaching your ship, prepare yourself for rescue,” Hal said over the com-line the Interceptor had going with the Provadon.   
  
“Ars deploy the tractor beam,” Hal instructed.

Arley let out a hum in the back of her throat and once Aya had locked onto the back of the distressed ship, Arley pressed her glowing ring down onto the panel that sat in front of her; she watched as the glowing construct she shot out of the ship stretched towards the Provadon only to be sucked into the pinhole before it could attach itself to the rust bucket of a ship. 

“Anomalous gravitational readings are interfering with and affecting my instruments; I am unable to compensate.”

“Captain do you have tow cables?”

“Deploying them now!” The Captain replied only for the four tow cables he deployed to fly backwards, in the direction of the pinhole. The Captain let out a nervous and apologetic chuckle; “Missed.”

Hal stood up, “We’re going to have to go out there and attach them manually. Arley stay here and—”

“—Like hell!” Arley snapped, “I’m not an invalid!”

“No you’re not, you’re just pregnant,” Hal responded. And Arley knew he was right, that her being pregnant meant she had to be more cautious but still, she was a Green Lantern and it wasn’t as if she were going to fight a squadron of Reds.

“Exactly! Hal, in three months I’m going to blow up like a kriffing balloon, I won’t be able to do bantha shit then-let me do this now. It’s attaching cables to the Interceptor, not a firefight, it’s like reattaching a wheel to a car!”

Hal curled his lips together; “Fine, fine. Okay, come on.”

Hal turned and started towards the cockpit door, Kilowog clapped a large hand into Arley’s shoulder.

“Anomalous gravity always puts a bug in bitches,” the Bolvaxian joked.

“If you don’t think you’re up for the task—”

“—Just try to keep up Punk!” Kilowog cut Razer’s snide remark off; Arley, sandwiched between the two held back her sigh. “Green Lanterns train in variable gravities! Lets see how you do when you weigh a thousand kilos, and six thousand, then eight!”

“This is a dangerous undertaking,” Aya said as the four Lanterns reached the Interceptors doors, “Why are we risking five lives for the sake of one?”

Hal turned and paused as Arley, Kilowog and Razer all passed him to fly outside of the ship; all three of them bathed in a protective glow. Arley, bathed in green and already feeling a thousand times heavier than she had been inside the ship, and Hal, just steps away from the door paused as he looked up at the ship's camera.

“A Green Lantern protects innocent life even at the risk of their own. It’s what we do.” Hal, glowing green himself, turned to look at Arley as he flew outside of the ship and into space, “You can stay in the ship, no one’s going to judge you if you want to.”

Arley’s jaw clenched because it wasn’t about whether she thought Kilowog or Razer were going to judge her for staying behind and not participating in the rescue mission; it was about not being alone with her thoughts. 

It was about the fact that some mornings Arley woke up and pretended she wasn’t pregnant not because she hated the baby growing inside her— Nortz she didn’t hate the baby, her baby, she loved it with every cell in her body and every breath of air in her lungs —but because she knew what thinking about the baby meant.

She knew that the more she thought of the baby and more she allowed herself to think about raising it she’d have to think about if she were ever going to leave the Corps for the sake of the child; because how could she leave her child behind and go off to fight in a war that would inevitably kill her. She knew that it meant she’d have to think about a life without Wally and with not even two full months since his death that wasn’t something Arley wanted— felt she could actually bring herself —to do.

“I’m fine,” Arley answered, “I-let’s do this.”

Hal, with his brows knitted together in concern nodded, and the four Lanterns took off towards where the Provadons tow cables were, the closer they got to the pinhole the more Arley felt herself wobble in the air. It was as if she were driving on a bumpy road.

“Quite the downdraft!” Razer shouted.

“Downdraw!” Arley corrected with a tense grin.

“If you don’t make it over that gravity whirlpool Red, you’re dark matter!” Kilowog shouted; the Bolvaxian urged himself forward faster and the other Lanterns followed his lead. Each of them grabbed the hook— Arley let out a groan as she scooped the hook up, what once would have felt like nothing felt as if it were several tauntauns all piled on top of one another —and started once more towards the Interceptor only for Razer to be jerked back, towards the pinhole.

Kilowog, who flew on Arley’s left, paused to look at the Red Lantern only to continue on and Arley got why; Razer was a Lantern Killer and to them— to any Green Lantern —there one thing worse than that, but Razer was her crewmate, her teammate, and so Arley, with a puff of air, turned to the Red Lantern.

Wordlessly she roped her arm through his; the two of them started once more towards the Interceptor and with a terse look in Kilowogs direction, the four Lanterns latched the tow cables onto the hull of their ship.

“Okay Aya!” Hal shouted into his ring, “Let’s hall this baby out!

“Warning gravitational pull is too intense, cables may not withstand the strain,” Aya responded.

Kilowog’s ears flipped backward.

“The ship’s stable for now but sooner or later I’m telling you it’s going in!” The training Sergeant said to Hal. Hal looked at the back of the ship and then at his ring, as if he were trying to imagine what would happen if they used constructs as cables, only to shake his head a moment later.

“We’ll have to get the captain ourselves then!” Hal shouted as he darted back towards the Provadon. Arley and the others quickly— as fast as they could under the strain of the pinholes pull —followed after him. 

Kilowog was the one to latch onto the ships door, Razer gripped at the ship towards the Bolvaxians right and Arley and Hal, clawing at the side of the ship, left of the Bolvaxian watched as he used his strength to all but rip the door open. 

Arley was quickly pushed into the ships entranceway, then Hal and Razer quickly entered after her only for the pair to shuffle closer to her once Kilowog joined them inside the small, closet sized hallway. Arley— as she worked on spinning the second door open —heard Razer grunt as Hal was roughly pushed into her; only to be sent flying as the door opened.

Arley stumbled forward, out from under Hal only for the pilot to get caught underneath both Razer and Kilowog weights. Rolling out from under Kilowog, and off of Hal, Razer was the first to his feet; the tips of the Volkreggans lips turned upwards thankfully as he passed Arley.

Hal, as Kilowog brought him to his feet frowned at Arley and his old Training Sergeant, “You could have given him a hand.”

“I don’t need a recruit on my six,” Kilowog hissed back, “Especially not a Red one!”

“Kilowog—” Arley started, only to stop when a loud thumping cut her off.

“Down here!” The Captain's voice called out, “Help, please! Down here!”

“Look, just deal with it,” Hal told Kilowog before the four of them took off in the direction that the captain's voice had called out from. The room the four Lanterns stopped in was cold, and the walls were lined with bright glowing spheres built into the walls; there were eleven spheres per unit that stuck outside of the wall and at least fifty units. 

In front of them, climbing down a ladder, was a squat looking alien.

It was the Captain; his skin was a bronzed-yellow sort of color, he had no hair on his head and both his thick bushy brows and beard were white, his beard— though it curled together in the hologram, in person —looked as if it were just one giant knot. 

“Thank the Galmother you’re here!” The Captain cried, his dark eyes went wide as he looked at the Lanterns, “I’m at half power and have no way to pull myself out!”

“What exactly are you hulling?” Hal asked the man. Kilowog turned to the closet unit and peered at the glowing spheres. 

“Some kind of egg?” Kilowog said. Arley walked up behind the other Lantern and caught sight that inside the spheres were eggs.

Bright blue, ostrich sized eggs. Several in the unit had cracks in them.

“Leave them,” The captain said, “With the refrigeration they’re going to spoil anyway.”

“Spoil?” Kilowog blinked, “They’re about to hatch! It’s only a matter of time before they do.” 

The captain blinked at Kilowog as Hal, who’d walked over, slowly slid one of the eggs out of the containment unit it’s been placed in; Hal, cradled the egg in one arm like he would a baby whilst his other arm was held up so that his ring could can the egg. 

“Hatch?”

Arley ignored the thought of Hal holding her child the same way in several months' time. Her child would one day call him grandpa, the same way they would call Rudy that; the same way they would call her mama. 

The same way they would never call Wally dad.

Blinking back thoughts of the child growing inside her— _Later_ , Arley told herself, knowing that when later did come around she would push the thoughts away then too —Arley focused on Hal as he told her, the captain and the other two Lanterns that he couldn’t quite make out what was inside the eggs.

“Who cares?” Razer asked, Arley frowned in the Lantern's direction, “Only vermin and bugs hatch from eggs-they’re not worth getting killed over.”

Anger shot through Arley; red hot anger.

“How can even you say that!” Arley shouted at the Red Lantern before anyone else could. Her voice was slightly shrill and the Red Lantern’s face smoothed out from the scowl it’d just been wearing, “Who cares what the fuck hatches from the egg, somethings hatching! It’s a baby!”

Razer’s eyes widened slightly and the Lantern looked almost like he wanted to stuff his words back into his mouth when tears she hadn’t even meant for, dotted the corner of Arley’s eyes. The captain, with wide eyes of his own, watched as Arley tipped her chin upwards so that she could hold back the angry tears.

She wasn’t sad and Arley could count the times she’d cried out of anger over the years on one hand; she knew Razer’s comment wasn’t something to get worked up over and she knew if she weren’t pregnant that she wouldn’t have even yelled at him.

 _Hormones,_ Arley thought angrily, though that seemed to only make her vision blur more _, Stupid fucking hormones._

“Don’t worry Ars,” Hal said, with a hand between her shoulder blade, “We’re not leaving the eggs.”

Hal’s ring beeped; “The Provadons logs identify these eggs as Spegnarians,” Aya said. “They’re an incredibly rare life form ever since their planet was devastated by volcanic activity.” 

“So these eggs are some sort of last ditch colony?” Kilowog asked; the captain swiped the palm of his hand across his bald head.

“I suppose so? I was paid to avoid major shipping lanes.”

“Well you certainly did that,” Hal said, he placed the egg back in the containment chamber. “Okay boys-Arley, I’m going to get the civilian to clear the three of you, I want you three—” Kilowog let out a sound of protest from the back of his throat; one Hal easily ignored, “—To get to the engine room and see what you can do.”

“It’s a waste of time,” Razer huffed.

“He’s right,” the captain agreed.

“No he’s not!” Arley snapped, Hal held his hand up in Arley’s direction and looked sharply in Razers. The Red Lantern bowed his head.

Hal nodded at Arley as he urged the Captain forward, towards the direction Arley, he and the others had come from; when Hal and the captain could no longer be seen Kilowog let out a growled sound.

“I cannot believe that Hotshot left me here!” Arley looked at the large alien from the corner of her eyes. Razer blatantly ignored Kilowog as he looked up at the ceiling of the room they were in.

“Weren’t you the T.O that always preached teamwork and trust in boot camp or was just that all a fever dream?” Arley wondered as the three of them started in the opposite direction Hal and the Captain had flown off in. 

Razer kept his eyes glued to the ceiling and Arley continued to look at Kilowog.

“I preached trust in our fellow Lanterns, not some two-bit knock off,” Kilowog responded loudly as they reached a second hallway; the corridor split left and right. 

Razer looked left, Kilowog looked right.

“The engine room is this way,” Kilowog said, jerking his head left. 

“No,” Razer said, pointing right, “It’s this way. That’s the main powerline.” Razer pointed at six thick cables that ran close to the ceiling of the ship; Kilowog used his ring to shine a green light upon the six power lines and Arley’s brows shot up impressed.

“As if you know how a cargo ship works, this isn’t one of your little red Lantern death rides, put together with lead foil and scrap wire.” Razer opened his mouth only for Kilowog to shine the light in the Red Lanterns eyes, “And stay in front of me!”

Razer snarled at the man before taking to the upper catwalk that trailed above them; Kilowog let out a satisfied puff of air, and though he had just protested that the engine room was to the right as the three of them started to walk right, Kilowog said nothing.

If the older Green Lantern had caught sight of Arley’s admonished look then he ignored it. 

“So how’s that phony ring of yours holding up?” Kilowog called out tauntingly.

“Without a Red Lantern battery eventually the charge will die out,” Razer answered cooly.

“Not soon enough,” Kilowog muttered; Arley elbowed the alien in the side.

“But for now, as long as I am filled with rage it is as still as strong as yours,” Razer added smugly. 

The ship shook and Arley heard a loud snapping sound echo above her and Kilowog. Kilowog grabbed Arley around the waste and jumped back as something— some large part of the ship —fell where they had just been standing.

“I hope you’re good at mad then Killer!” Kilowog growled as he moved away from Arley and grabbed the large piece of ship, he threw it at Razer who easily dodged it. 

“Kilowog!” Arley shouted as Razer landed gracefully on the floor, several or some odd feet away from herself and Kilowog.

“That wasn’t me!” Razer snapped, “This ship is falling to pieces and I am so sick of your self righteous braying you fat green oaf!” Razer, hovering above the ships flowing, grabbed the chain that had landed by his feet and Kilowog formed a bright, glowing green hammer with his ring.

Kilowog swung and Razer jumped over the hammer's large mallet. The chain Razer had grabbed wrapped around Kilowogs wrist and the Green Lantern jerked his arm back; Razer went flying into his fist only to land several yards away, down at the end of the corridor. 

Razer got to his feet and formed a construct— a pointed staff; a Ji like dagger-staff —and ran forward; Arley threw a construct of her own out between the two fighting aliens. It was large, thick, glowing green wall that separated the two.

“So help me if you two were fighting I’m having Arley turn this ship right around!” Hal called out; it was the same tone he used throughout her childhood, the one he’d speak in when he caught Arley doing something she wasn’t supposed to. 

Arley dropped her construct has her adoptive father landed between the two aliens.

“Isn’t that what we’re trying to do?” Razer snapped at Hal; Hal rolled his eyes.

“Try that again Poozer and I’ll blow my ring charge on you. Pinhole or no pinhole.”

Razer stepped closer to Kilowog and Hal and Arley stepped closer to the both of them; Arley to Kilowog and Hal to Razer, the pair of humans ready to jump between the two aliens if need be.

“I’m not afraid to die,” the alien growled at Kilowog; as if he had something to prove. The ship shook violently and Hal looked pointedly at Razer,

“Yeah well, maybe you should be,” Hal told him. “You’ll live longer.”

“Hello!” The Captain yelled frantically through Hal, Arley and Kilowogs rings, “Are you there! Hello!”

“Gorey, what happened to the computer!” Hal asked urgently. Arley raised her own ring.

“Aya!” Arley called out, “Aya are you there!”

“I don’t know!” The captain wailed to the Lanterns, “And I don’t care, you need to start the engine now or both ships are going in! We’re out of time!”

The ship jerked forward and Arley stumbled into Kilowog; the Bolvaxian wrapped one arm around her, so that he could steady her, while his other shouted out as he tried to steady himself.

“Wait captain!” Kilowog shouted into his own glowing ring, “Ease off the wench!”

The Captain never responded and before Arley or the other two Green Lanterns could call out to him again the ship dipped forward; Kilowog curled himself around Arley proactively— she curled her own arms around herself on instinct —as the four Lanterns were sent flying through the corridor. 

“We’re going in!” Kilowog panicked. Razer was hit with a falling piece of equipment and Arley looked past Kilowog, at the pile of things they were going to land on; the pregnant Lantern wiggled her arm out from between herself and Kilowog and imagined a bounce house, she pictured an air mattress and a trampoline.

A green construct shot out of the young Lanterns ring and Hal, as the four Lanterns bounced against Arley’s construct, threw up a bubble around them as more items that had been in the corridor fell around them.

The ship and the items that surround Hal’s bubble whined as the gravity of the pinhole crushed them against Hal’s construct; when they stopped Hal slowly lowered his construct, Arley did the same leaving the four Lanterns shroud in darkness.

“We’re on the lip, almost in the crush zone, we need to get out of here.”

“Not without those eggs!” Hal protested, Kilowog sucked in a deep breath of air and stepped back, towards the half bent door that was behind him. “Where are you going?”

“To buy us some time.” Hal nodded, he looked between Arley and Razer and then at Kilowog.

“I’ll come too-Razer, Arley you two get the engine back on line,” Hal ordered.

“Got it,” Arley said, though she wrapped her hand around Hal’s wrist as he went to turn. “Be safe out there?”

“I’ll be fine, I got Kilowog with me, you be safe here.” Arley smiled at her adoptive father, she only turned to Razer once Hal and Kilowog had shut the door behind them.

“Can you still lead us to the engine room?”

“Of course I can,” Razer said as they started to sly though the spaces between the items that had almost crushed them to death, “But it’s hopeless. Kilowog and Jordan are fools. This is a suicide mission!” 

Arley turned to Razer with an arched brow.

“And here I thought you weren’t afraid to die?” Razer shot the Lantern a dry look only to stutter mid-air as the walls seemed to close around themselves. “Kriff!” Arley swore, she pushed herself to fly faster, Razer on her tail. 

The ship, though no longer compressing itself inwards continued to violently shake as Arley and Razer glided through the pile of wreckage. 

Easily, Arley flew through the small space between a fallen rafter and what looked like some kind of crushed pipe; Razer tried to follow after her only for his hips to get stuck in the small opening. The Red Lantern let out a sound of frustration and Arley, who had landed on an iron beam turned to look down at him.

Razer was a Lantern Killer, he had blood on his hands, but so did Arley; Razer was her teammate. 

Arley jumped down from the beam she had landed on and stuck her hand out for the Red Lantern to grab; Razer gripped at her forearm and Arley, with a grunt, dug her heels into whatever she was standing on— a crate of some kind —and pulled.

Razer popped out of the hole, only to— when a loud crashing sound came from above them and a falling iron beam caught both Lanterns eyes —pushed her away as he jumped high into the air; a glowing red whip in his hands.

Arley flew into the air.

With a single crack Razer split the beam and Arley, who had saddled up to Razor's side looked half impressed. 

“Nice job,” Arley said as the beam fell against the pile they’d flown out of; the pile shuddered under the beam's weight and dropped, filling the space Hal’s construct had cleared out for them.

“Thank you-and thank you for assisting me,” Razer grumbled.

“It’s no problem,” Arley told him, leading him towards the turn at the end of what had once been a corridor, “Now come on, we need to get to the engine room.” 

Arley had only just turned around the corner when Razer grabbed her wrist and jerked her back.

“Look at this,” Razer said as he pointed to an empty unit, “The eggs are already hatching.” He said it would pursue her to leave, to give up their mission.

“Then I guess we need to fly faster don’t we?”

Razer looked at her as if she’d grown two heads, “Why are you risking your life-your child's life for vermin! For me!”

“Because I have to!” Arley shouted back before she could stop herself, “Because if I don’t I’ll—” she cut herself off. The words _, Think about the baby_ rested on the tip of her tongue. 

“You’ll what?” Razer asked, Arley pressed her lips together.

“Nothing okay-just focus on getting us to the engine room,” Arley told him; Razer opened his mouth— as if he were going to argue —only to pause when soft pitter-pattering echoed through the destroyed corridor.

The pair turned to see something small with several legs underneath it— one of the hatchlings —open up and touch one of the powerlines. 

“They’re eating the powerlines!” Arley formed a large hand from her ring, the construct moved to nudged the hatchling away from the powerline only for the construct to easily pass through the hatchling, not even phasing it.

“My contacts don’t even slow them down!”

Razer fired at the hatchlings, blasting two of them back; “Mine do!” The Red Lantern reeled his arm back only for Arley to catch it in her grip. 

“What are you doing!” Razer snapped; his wrist still locked in Arley’s grip.

“They’re babies-hatchlings! Of an incredibly rare species!” She reminded him as the ship continued to shake. Arley’s ring brightened.

“What’s the hold up in there!” Kilowog called out.

“Hatchlings!” Razer called out, “They’re eating the power cables!” 

The ship once more started to cave in around Arley and Razer. With his wrist still locked between her thumb and middle fingers Arley pulled Razer up, after her as she once more started towards the engine room. 

The hatchlings skittled after them and then quickly— because they could move between the smaller space neither Arley or Razer could —surpassed them. 

“If they start eating the engine before we get there it’s over!”

After four years of war— after three of leading her fellow Corpsmen into battle —Arley was good at coming up with split second plans. 

“Then we need to cut them off,” Arley said as she looked around the hallway they were in. Arley spied a misshaped door to her right; and tugged Razer through it. Quickly, she lead Razer back outside into space. The weight of the pinholes pull settled on Arley’s shoulders like a leaden weight.

“There’s less clutter out here!” Arley shouted. 

“Right, we can enjoy that as we plummet into the pinhole!” Razer sassed. Arley rolled her eyes, the Lantern wobbled as she tried to urge herself forward only to tumble back; catching herself on the side of the ship with a yelp, Razer also latched onto the side of the ship.

“You good?” Arley asked.

“I’ll be better once we are away from the pinhole!” 

Arley nodded and looked up, towards the part of the ship she and Razer need to get too, throwing her ring arm out and with a giant glowing green hand shooting out from her ring Arley had intended to pull herself and Razer up to the door closest to the engine room, only for the construct— before it even retched the next ledge —to bend backwards, towards the pinhole.

Dropping the construct lest she get pulled in, Arley— with a huff —started to climb the outside of the ship.

It reminded Arley of the time she’d been ten and on Oa for a remedial boot camp circuit; Kilowog had her and the then White Circles she’d been training with to an active volcano. They’d been made to climb out of the volcano without their rings before it exploded; apparently it was something his Training Sergeant had done to him. 

Bits and pieces of asteroid hit the side of the ship as they were sucked into the pinhole, Arley gripped the side of the ship tighter. Razer let out a grunt and then as one of his hands slipped— and the other —and he was suddenly pulled back, towards the pinhole, he let out another.

“Razer!”

Arley watched a Razer turned; his screams had died in his throat, and she saw the Red Lantern begin to propell himself back up— past her —as he fired a constant blast of red energy in the direction of the pinhole. 

“Holy kriffing shit,” Arley breathed; the young woman turned and faced the swirling pinhole. She pointed her ring in the blackhole's direction and like Razer, she allowed herself to be propelled upwards, towards the door closest to the engine room. 

Speedily the pair returned the ship; only for the sound of the hatchlings legs scraping against the ship's metal to echo throughout the corridor. 

“More hatchlings!” Razer hissed as he and Arley flew up to the engine rooms doors, Arley paused in front of the engine room doors control panel,, “Look we’re already out numbered, think of how this will turn out once the rest of the eggs open and they reach the engine room!”

“Look Razer, I can handle a Red Lantern on board-I don’t have a problem with it but what I do have a problem with is a pessimist so if you’re not going to say something optimistic, do me a favor and shut up!” 

The door hissed open and Arley and Razer flew into the engine room; with a construct Arley— as the hatchlings raced to the open doorway —closed the creaking metal shut, only to be met with a frozen engine room.

“What the hell?” Arley breathed; her breath came out in a puff.

“Those hatchlings doomed us all!” Razer snapped, “They are right though the power lines that powered the heaters-it would take a team of engineers hours to restart this thing before we collapsed into the pinhole!”

“Well we don’t have a team of engineers or that kind of time!” Arley shouted back as the hatchlings on the other side of the door slowly began to force it open. 

Her mind was racing; Arley had led men into battles, she’d been a commander in war since she’d graduated high school, she’d fought alongside Superman and Wonder Woman— helped bring down the Reach and splinter the Light —she could figure out a way to restart an engine.

She could; she had too.

“Okay Razer, on my mark we light this baby up.”

“You want us to start a frozen engine?” Razer drawled, “The explosion from that will be spectacular.”

“He’s right kid,” Kilowog said through the com-link. “You start the engine up like that you’re toast!”

Arley swallowed the lump in her throat; 

“Yeah well if anyone else has a better idea I’d love to hear it!” No one spoke, “That’s what I thought-now Razer, on the count of three.”

“Neither of us will be able to unfreeze this engine, not at least without another five pairs of hands,” Razer said.

“What did I say about the pessimism!” Arley snapped; the door creaked open more, the tentacles of the hatchlings wormed through the space they’d made.

Razer threw his arm up in front of his, his ring glowed dangerously in the hatchlings direction. 

“Look we’re dead either way, I say we go down fighting-at least my red energy makes a dent in them.” Arleys eyes narrowed.

“That’s right,” she murmured, “Your red energy-green doesn’t affect them.” 

A lightbulb went off over Arley’s head. Arley might not have been like Dick or Wally, she might not have been some sort of child genius like Tim Drake but she wasn’t dumb. 

“Hold your fire-I think I can get you those five hands!” Arley flew over to the door’s control panel and pressed the large green button on it; the engine rooms door sprung open. A dozen crawling pieces of metal flooded the engine room; they all shot straight for the iced over engine.

“What are you doing!”

“Those things aren’t hatchlings, they’re not from the eggs, they’re from the Intaceptor. It’s Aya!”

Razer’s eyes widened.

“You’re deranged!”

“Look, Aya’s been gone since before the bugs showed up-remember how at the Spider Guild’s prison Aya left the ship? Well she probably-I’m sure, she did again, only this time instead of some green light she’s these things!” 

“She ate the powerlines!” One by one the bugs all crawled into the engine, Arley’s heart hammered in her chest.

“She was shutting down non-essential systems to save power-Gorey said he was only at half power right!” Razer nodded. “Look it’s Aya, okay!” Trust me.

The engine started to glow, and as it heated up right before Razer and Arley’s eyes, both Lanterns watched as the ice that had covered it quickly melted. Arley and Razer moved as the engine that hadn’t been working turned.

Razer, gapping open mouthed, looked at Arley; “The engine’s back on line!”

Beaming, Arley cupped her hands over her mouth.

“Aya full reverse!”

One of the Aya-bugs climbed out of the engine and stationed itself at the controls on the side of the engine; it’s tentacle’s beat furiously against the controls touchscreen. 

“Come on, we need to get to the cockpit!” Arley said as she led Razer out of the engine room.

“You know even if the engines are back online we’re past the point of no return!”

Arley smirked at the Red Lantern.

“You know for someone who hates Greens, you sure know nothing about us-we live for the point of no return!” Arley cackled only to freeze when she caught sight of Hal— holding an unconious Kilowog —both falling towards the pinhole.

“No!”  
  
Arley moved to the door, to shoot out after them only for Razer to cut her off.

“Go! I’ve got them!” Arley hesitated, not because she didn’t trust Razer— she had to, he was her teammate —but because these were her fathers. She couldn’t lose them.

“You’re sure?”

“Yes! Now get to the cockpit!” Arley nodded before she zipped off to the cockpit. 

She didn’t bother to buckle up when she threw herself into the captain's seat, instead she just gripped at the ship's steering wheel and flicked the intercom. Arley might have been able to fly but Hal was the pilot between them and Aya was the literal navicomputer.

“Aya!” Arley said over the intercom, “Any idea how to fly this baby out of this thing!”

“Detach the ship from the hold,” Aya instructed a second later; Hal, Razer and Kilowog all swapped through the cockpit doors as she dropped the ship's hold into the pinhole. 

“Now what?”

“Fly at the pinhole and with its current,” Aya instructed. Arley— trusting Aya, she hadn’t lead any of them wrong yet —nodded.

“What!” Three voices called out.

“Aya you’ve got to be kidding!” Hal called out. 

“No, I am not, if Green Lantern Arley can generate enough velocity she can sling shot the ship out of the pinholes gravitational pull.”

Arley slammed her hand down button that controlled the ship's engines; the Provadon quickly began to fall into the pinhole. Biting her lip, as the ship was pulled in, Arley spun the steering wheel until the ship was circling around the pinhole, the same way water circled a drain.

“Aya tell me when to pull up!” Arley shouted as the ship began to shake more violently. “Aya!”

“Now.”

Arley jerked at the ship's steering wheel up and the ship, whining as Arley pulled away from the pinhole, continued to shake as if it were going to fall apart at any moment. 

Once the Provadon was out of the pinhole’s pull, and had stopped shaking, Arley let out a loud, celebratory hoot.

“Holy shit we’re alive,” Hal laughed, he too let out a loud celebratory cheer as Arley continued to fly the Provadon, until it was stationed next to the Interceptor. 

“Humans,” Kilowog mumbled, “Humans.”

…

Hours later, when Gorey had gone back to his ship and the Interceptor was quiet, Arley once more found herself back in the small dining hall, across from Razer. Her plate was empty and he was mostly done; the Red Lantern paused what he was doing— cutting his food —to look at her.

“Do you truly not mind having a Red Lantern aboard?” Razer asked her.

“No,” she said.

“Why? I am, as Kilowog has called it, a Lantern Killer. You and Hal Jordan should abhor me.”

“Maybe, but Hal doesn’t really hate anyone, and I can’t. Before we handed you off to the Spider Guild there was this look in your eyes. It’s the same look I get in my eyes some days,” Arley told Razer.

“You have killed?” Razer wondered, Arley nodded, she held her ring hand up.

“I got this ring when I was a child-eight years old. I was a child when I took my first life. It was a Warlord who was going to kill Hal and our other sector partner, Guy. I’ve killed others too over the years.” _Innocents_ , Arley didn’t say.

She’d been seventeen and the war between the Sinestro Corps and the Green Lanterns had only just begun and a fleet of Devaronian warships had surrounded the planet Klatooinian with the intent of destroying it. Arley had been tasked with stopping the destruction of the planet, by force if necessary and Arley hadn’t wanted it to come to that. 

Especially when the Devronian General leading the attack had said how on every ship there were Devaronian civilians. That if she wanted to stop them from destroying Klaroonian then she would have to kill innocent women and children as well. 

In the end she had— she’d had too; there were trillions of lives on Klatoonian, lives just as innocent as the women and children on the ship —and she had walked away from the battle with the name _Morningstar_.

It was quiet for a moment, Razer set his cutlery down on the table, the piece of meat he had speared at the end of his fork hung up in the air.

“What you did back on the Provadon was foolish-staying behind, flying into the pinhole, you put yours and your child's lives at risk.”

Arley’s mouth twisted at his words.

“I know,” she nodded. 

“Why?” Razer asked, astonished. “If I were you, if I had a child, I wouldn’t risk them.”

Razer wasn’t chastising her, he wasn’t yelling at her; his tone in fact was soft. It was curious. 

“Because—” the words caught in Arley’s throat. It was one thing to talk about being a monster, about what she had done, it was another to admit that the child inside of her terrified her. Green Lanterns weren’t supposed to be afraid.

“The Red Lanterns,” Arley said instead, “Were you close to any of them?” 

Razer shook his head.

“No.”

Arley nodded as she leaned back in her seat.

“The Corps is my family, my parents died long before I got the ring and Hal, Kilowog, the other Lanterns they all raised me. When my child’s born I’m going to lose that-I’m going to have to do what’s best for them and that's going to be giving up my ring.”

Growing old in the Corps was a privilege, it was one Arley was sure she was bound to over use sooner than later; she couldn’t leave her child orphaned. She wouldn’t. 

“Can the child's other parent not care for them? Are they a Lantern too?” Razer asked, Arley, as tears sprang to her eyes, let out a watery laugh. 

She shook her head.

“He’s dead.” Razer sucked in a sharp breath, “Wally, he died, two months ago-before I even found out. He’s got parents back on Earth and I’ve got friends-people I’d call my family but still. I’m going to be the only parent this baby has, I can’t die on them.”

She was going to have to raise her child without Wally, without the Corps behind her. She would have to do it without Aniell; something she was sure she’d still have to do even if she continued being a Lantern. After close to two months without hearing her ring's voice echoing in the back of her head, Arley was sure Aniell was lost.

Arley whipped her eyes with the knuckle of her thumb; she sniffled as she tried to stop herself.

Razer pressed his lips together, his fingers ghosted over his fork and knife, he looked at Arley with a heavy, weighted look in his eyes.

“I told you already that my world was ravaged by war, correct?” Arley nodded. “Before the ring came to me-the reason it came to me was because I was married. My wife Ilana was killed by one of the warlords, the ring offered me vengeance.” 

“You got it?” Razer nodded.

“If we had-if Iliana and I had a child when she had died, I am not sure what I would have chosen.” Razer raised his hands and breathed, “What I mean to say is that-I am trying to compliment you.” 

Arley, with tears still dotting the corners of her eyes, smiled wetly at the Red Lantern. 

“Thank you,” Arley said softly. Razer nodded and without another word picked his fork and knife back up; several moments Later, Kilowog, once more carrying a bowl of green worms, entered the small dining hall.

Only this time he didn’t hit the back of Razer’s head, and instead, quietly took his seat next to Arley. The Bolvaxian eyed Arley’s red eyes and face.

“You okay kid?”

Arley nodded; “Yeah just-hormones,” she half lied.

Kilowog placed a hand on her shoulder comfortably before he turned to his bowl of green worms and dug in, the same way he had hours earlier. Arley and Razer both watched as the Training Sergeant slowly looked up at them with a teal colored mouth.

“You were stupidly brave today,” Razer told Kilowog simply.

“Yeah,” Kilowog tipped his head back, “Well back at you.” Hal entered the dining hall without a plate of his own, “Nice job saving me. Thanks.”

Hal took the seat next to Razer. 

“And thank you Aya,” Hal said, “We’d all be feeling pretty cramped right now if it wasn’t for you coming out of your shell like that.”

“Yes, like a hatchling from an egg,” the AI said; Arley smiled up at the ship's camera as it moved down closer to them. 

Hal held a finger up, “I’m not done,” he told Aya, “It was dangerous to up and leave your post. We need some parameters, young Lady.”

“A Green Lantern protects innocent life, even at risk to their own,” Aya quoted. Arley looked at Hal,

“She’s got a point. You did tell her that.”

“Maybe but come on, wait-wait a minute, Aya can’t be a Green Lantern.”

“Why not?” Aya asked blandly.

“You’re a navcom,” Kilowog said.

“But you are also a Bolvaxian, why can I not be both a navcom and a Green Lantern?”

“Well first off, the ring’s got to pick you,” Kilowog said.

“Why?” Aya asked once more. 

Kilowog’s head swiveled between Arley and Hal, “Help me out here.”

“I think you’re doing just fine on your own buddy,” Hal replied. Kilowog looked at Arley and she shook her head.

“Aya’s saved us twice, if she thinks she has what it takes to be a Lantern, who am I to stop her?” 

Kilowog, with a huff, looked to Razer. 

“Red?” 

Razer put his hands up in front of himself, “Leave me out of this.”

“Look,” Kilowog said to the camera, “Green Lanterns have to have a physical body, to walk around and talk to people, they can’t be a bunch of creepy bugs.” 

“Parameters set,” Aya said. 

The camera moved up into the ceiling and Arley watched as the bugs that had fixed the engine one by one fell onto the dining halls table until, put together they resembled a body. Glowing, the bits and pieces of the body Aya had just formed seemed to fill themselves in, something between skin and a solid construct formed fingers and an abdomen and a face.

Arley, wide eyed and open mother watched as the body— as Aya’s body —stood on the dining hall table, looking down at her and the others.

“A body like this?”

“Yeah,” Arley squeaked, “That’ll do.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six — Heir Apparent**

_**"Grief doesn't care how many years it's been."** _

After leaving their makeshift camp— the one Wally had awoken in —Wally West and Roscoe Hyanes quickly discovered that Wally West did not have his speed, that— wherever they were —he was a normal human being; which didn't mean anything. It didn't mean Wally was going to give up and wallow, it didn't mean he wasn't going to explore every inch of the island both he and the Tuskegee pilot had found themselves on; he was still going to get off of it.

He was still going to get home. He was going to get back to Arley.

It would just take longer.

**…**

Arley stood— dressed only in her undergarments —in the Interceptors bathroom, not because she'd taken a shower, but rather because at almost fifteen weeks, she had entered into what Aya had explained was her second Trimester and would soon be showing.

Her stomach was still flat, the abs she'd received after a lifetime of heroics were still defined and though Arley knew it would only be another few weeks before a bump even appeared, Arley couldn't help but picture the small life growing inside of her.

When Wally had died, when Bart had told her about the life she and Wally were supposed to have had, the young West-Allen had told her that she was supposed to have a baby girl first; Maria. That Maria was supposed to be all dark hair and hazel eyes and that besides his nose the only thing she was supposed to have inherited from Wally was his knobby knees and sharp elbows.

But that had been in the timeline Wally was alive, one where Arley hadn't gone undercover because Barry had been dead, meaning nothing was for certain; the baby growing inside of her could have bright red hair and hazel eyes and could easily be a boy instead.

An Alphard 'Alfie' Wallace West instead of a Maria.

Arley's nose crinkled at the name. Naming her daughter after her mother was one thing; despite the fact Arley's mother had been bedridden for almost all of her life, before Maria Gomez death, Arley had a connection to the woman— she'd had faint memories of her mother singing her to sleep and tucking her in —but her father, Alphard Gluck had never been someone Arley knew. Before foster care the man had only ever been a story to her— he'd been murdered in the street just shortly after she'd been born —and nothing more than the ghost of a dead man afterwards, naming a child after him wasn't wrong per say, but it didn't sit in Arley's gut right.

Arley, tearing her eyes away from the mirror clenched her fist as she pictured her uniform materializing over herself; the Green Lantern Corps symbol stood out proudly against her chest, though— because she was deep in space, on the other side of the universe —Arley didn't picture her mask materializing over her eyes, and instead, when her uniform was done, was left to stare at her bare face in the mirror.

Whilst she looked young— she was after all, only twenty-one; there were no crows feet or laugh lines —her eyes lacked a certain spark in them. They weren't dead per say, but rather, dull and lackluster. They were sad.

Arley had been willing to give up her ring for a life with Wally, she knew that if the Reach hadn't been stopped she would have had to choose between him and the Corps— though there wasn't a choice there; Wally, it was always Wally —and yet somehow that was different than knowing she'd have to give up her ring when she gave birth.

Somehow, that was easier.

Heroes do not wallow, Green Lanterns did not succumb; Arley took a deep breath in and pushed her shoulders back as she exited the ships bathroom, quickly making her way to the ship's makeshift medbay— the room just outside the cockpit, somewhere she knew the others would be —Arley found Razer leaning against the archway that lead into the cockpit, and Kilowog standing near him as the pair of them watched Aya's newly formed body drop from the ships ceiling.

"I'm getting more comfortable in my human form everyday," Aya said to the two Green Lanterns and Razer, "I can now assemble myself in two-point-one seconds."

"And up until a few weeks ago you weren't much besides a real smart disembodied voice," Kilowog said for the umpteenth time since Aya had first revealed she could assemble herself a body. Hal, coming from the kitchens, entered the room and Kilowog turned to the older human Lanterns, "Jordan help me out here!"

"Any girl who can get ready in less than three seconds has my vote of approval," Hal joked with a smirk.

Arley let out a sound of protest from the back of her throat as she swiveled to look at her adoptive father only for the man to throw up his hands in front of him.

"Joking," Hal laughed, "I'm joking."

Aya's blue eyes lit up and Arley's back straightened as the navicomputer's humanoid body let out a low beeping sound. A camera in the ship moved and dropped from the ceiling; the lens of the camera glowed the same bright blue color Aya's eyes were glowing and Aya's body turned and a hologram of a solar system— one large star with several dozen planets all orbiting it —appeared from the camera.

"Sensors have located the energy signature of a Green Lantern power ring approximately eighteen-point-two terraquads from us," Aya announced.

"Great work Aya, plot a course directly to the signal, we're doing a little recruiting," Hal said as he walked into the cockpit; Arley and the rest of the Interceptors crew followed after him.

"Which, if the recruitment is successful, would bring the total of your Green Lantern force to three. Atrocitus will be shaking in his boots," Razer drawled, he peeked at Arley from the corner of his eyes and the human Lantern shot the Volkreggian a dry look.

Razer shrugged his shoulders; though it'd only been two days since they had all rescued the Provadon from the pinhole, and Razer had started to open up, Arley had quickly learned that— whether it was because of his culture or because of the fact his planet had been ravaged by two opposing Warlords —the alien was protective of children.

"Four if you count yourself," Hal quipped with a smile.

"And six if you counted myself and Green Lantern Arley," Aya added almost sarcastically.

Arley, as Kilowog lumbered over to Hal in the captain's seat, shot the AI, a bright smile. Aya really was like Red Tornado; though Tornado had stopped being the team's den-mother a little after Arley's seventeenth birthday there were still days he would stand around the cave in his John Smith body just to learn more about human behavior.

On those days M'gann or someone else would drag the team and the AI out to Happy Harbor, or somewhere else filled with civilians, to go on what had been dubbed as _'Educational field trips'._

"Right, how could I forget with you constantly reminding us every five minutes," Kilowog replied to Aya. Kilowog leaned into Hal, "Jordan—" Kilowog hissed loudly, "—You have to stuff the genie back in the box! You can't let our navicomputer get used to walking around like a real person!"

"You may be unaware but I can hear every sound on this vessel," Aya said almost woundly.

"Aya—"

"—Hal," Arley cut her adoptive father off; she knew her partner well enough to know that just by the tone of his voice he was going to let the navicomputer down gently, "She's saved our lives twice over, she wouldn't even be out here if it weren't for us."

If the three of them hadn't talked Aya into playing Joyride, she would still be in Ganthets workshop on Oa, not lightyears away in Frontier space.

"I get that," Hal replied easily. He turned to look at Aya with a kind smile on his face, "We get-I get, you want to explore but right now I think it's better if you stay close to the ship. We don't want to cause spectacles of ourselves and well, you are a spectacle."

Aya blinked slowly at Hal's words, as if digesting them.

"The definition of a spectacle is a visually striking performance or display, it is also an event or scene regarded in terms if it's visual impact. In this case, is a spectacle good or is a spectacle bad?"

"Good," Arley answered for Hal. Arley loved her adoptive father but just like Wally, the man tended to stick his foot in her mouth. "You're a good spectacle-what Hal's just trying to say is, we don't want to draw the attention of more Red Lanterns at the moment, and a walking-talking, navicomputer is something that would draw attention to us. You know?"

Aya nodded, "That is understandable."

Aya spun in her seat as she input the coordinates for the power signature of the Green Lantern power ring she'd managed to pick up. As her back was turned Arley looked sharply at both Hal and Kilowog; Aya saved their lives, she was their ship; their crewmate now that she had a body.

She reminded Arley of Aniell as much as she reminded the female Lantern of Red Tornado, and just as Aniell had once told her to do in regards to the Guardians, Arley would planet herself like a tree and refuse to move when it came to her two father figures; if Aya wanted a life outside of the ship Arley would do what she could to help her achieve that.

She'd lost Aniell, but she would help Aya.

**…**

The planet Betrassus was a large desert planet, though the sun wasn't visible, the sky was a bright yellow color and the architecture— including the castle that Arley, Hal and Kilowog were all approaching; Razer had been left behind in the Interceptor for obvious reasons and Aya had been left with him so that they, in Hal's words, _'Didn't make a spectacle of themselves'_ —was made up of all muted tones.

Hal and Kilowog, as Arley trailed behind them, pushed open the castle doors; the three expected to find themselves in a great hall, not a throne room, surrounded by armed guardsmen.

As the three of them were met with the wrong ends of swords, Arley looked at the alien woman that stood high up on a platform in front of a throne. Behind the throne there was a large blue flag of some kind. The alien woman was bathed in white— her dress reminded Arley of what the ancient Greeks used to wear —and her skin was pink, her large eyes had no pupils or sclera's and instead were all completely black. She also had on, what looked to be a crown.

"Great timing as always Hotshot," Kilowog breathed.

"It's a gift?" Hal tried to joke.

Arley's fist curled and her hand lifted from her hip to her chest as the guardsmen took a step closer. Kilowog let out a growled grunt.

"Hold!" The alien woman— the planet's sovereign —called out to her men. She descended the steps that lead up to her throne, her hands were clasped in front of herself. "Observe their garb and manor, they are Green Lanterns, and friends!" She declared.

The men surrounded Arley, Hal and Kilowog seethed their swords and took several steps back, allowing the three Lanterns to enter the room; the sovereign continued down the steps that lead to her throne and the aliens that surrounded her up on the platform followed.

"I am Queen Iolande, I welcome you to Betrassus," she said warmly.

A smaller, younger— bald —alien who was dressed far differently from the other guardsmen in the room, quickened his pace so that he stood only a step behind the queen, there was an eager look on his face.

The three Lanterns started up the mountain of steps and stopped a handful of steps away from the Queen; alien customs were always different and the three of them were there to ask for help, not to start an interstellar incident.

"Duloc used to tell me stories of other Green Lanterns but I thought they were nothing but tall tales," the younger alien explained.

Queen Iolande half turned to the younger alien and when he settled on the same step as her she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"This is my younger brother Ragnar," she introduced.

Hal took two more steps and stuck his hand out for the Queen and her brother to take.

"Iolande," the pilot breathed flirtatiously and Arley's brows shot up as the Queen placed her hand in his, "You name sounds like a waterfall." Hal placed a delicate kiss to Iolandes knuckles and Arley covered her mouth with her hand at the sight.

Hal Jordan was in love with Carol Ferris, he had been for years, but Nortz if the pilot wasn't a flirt.

"Worst line ever," Kilowog grumbled teasingly from behind Hal; with a snicker Arley nodded her head in agreement.

With an unimpressed look on her face, Iolande slipped her hand out of Hals; the pilot straightened his spine. Over the Queens shoulder Arley caught sight of one of Iolandes men glaring at Hal; stepping up so that she was shoulder to shoulder with her adoptive father— the Queen, her brother and the guardsmen who glared at Hal all looked at her —Arley met Iolande's dark eyes.

The Queen's eyes widened as they looked at her, her dark lips tipped up ever so slightly and the Queen placed her hands posed in front of herself as her chest puffed up; she looked regal.

"Your majesty, my fellow Corpsmen and I, we're looking for the Green Lantern that serves your sector. We picked up his power ring signal coming from this planet."

"You're looking for Green Lantern Duloc, he had protected Betrassus for many years," Iolande said with a nod.

Arley, and the other two Lanterns next to her, nodded.

"Yes ma'am," Hal said, "We need his help to fight a deadly threat in the frontier."

Iolandes shoulders dropped and her brother's mouth twisted downwards.

"You speak of the Red Lanterns. Several of our off planet outposts have been attacked by these marauders," the Queen spoke.

"You're probably the only ones strong enough to fight off these Red Lanterns," her brother Ragar added, his chest puffed out and his eyes wide and excited.

A sour taste flooded Arley's mouth at the young Princes' tone; people— aliens —always thought being a Green Lantern was something to be revered, to be celebrated and idolized and sure they saved the day but the symbol on their chest wasn't the same was the symbol on Supermans or Wonder Womans, it was blood soaked.

"Please!" The guardsmen behind the Queen snapped, "We don't need Green Lanterns to defend Betrassus, we need a King to lead it's armies! And he shall be me!"

The Queen spun on her heel and her shoulders tightened as she took two steps closer to the guardsmen, her dark lips curled upwards into an unpleasant snarl.

"Once again Kothak you overstep your bounds!" Queen Iolande snapped; her brother turned to Arley, Hal and Kilowog.

"It is our custom that if a Queen is coordinated without a husband then the greatest warrior may claim her hand and share the throne," he explained. Arley knew she wasn't supposed to judge other alien cultures— that it wasn't her place —but nonetheless she frowned at the Prince.

Kothak's chinned tipped upwards; "Face it Princess, you don't have what it takes to lead this Kingdom alone!"

Ioland's face softened with hurt and doubt and her brother's fingers curled into a fist as he glared at Kothak.

"Will no one challenge Kothak for my sister's hand?" He loudly asked the room of guardsmen.

"I will challenge Kothak for the hand of Iolande!" A voice called out; Arley and the rest of the throne room turned to see a Green Lantern— Duloc —flying into the throne room. The Lantern was older than Kothak— than Iolande —and like Iolande and the other aliens that lived on Betrassus he had markings swirling around his pink face.

"I think we found our man," Hal breathed as their fellow Lantern touched down on the throne room flooring.

_…_

The fireworks that had ignited the sky were slowly starting to die down and Arley, with her hair damp and dressed in clothing Iolande had graciously lent her, sat at the end of the Queens bed; ever since the Queen had carted her off after the welcoming feat that had been thrown in her, Hal and Kilowogs honor, the pair of them had been chatting in Iolandes room.

It had been awkward at first— Iolande had asked if her and Hal were lovers —but once Arley had quickly cleared up that Hal was her father, the two females settled into an easy going conversation, one that lead to Iolande asking Arley, "What's it like being a woman in the Green Lantern Corps?"

Arley blinked.

"Same as being a man I guess," Arley answered truthfully after a moment, "The ring picks indescriminatly; we have just as many White Circles coming in from matriarchal societies as those who come in from patriarchal ones so even if some guy wants to open his mouth there's a female Corpsmen right there telling him to shove it."

Honestly in Arley's opinion it was harder to be a human in the Corps than a female; most of the aliens who became corpsmen only knew of Earth as some planet in a backwater star system. To most aliens who got the ring the thought of never leaving their home planet— of living their whole lives there and being buried there —was inconceivable.

When she had first gotten her ring one Lantern had even asked if she could speak; Arley, still covered in the grime from the Gotham alleyways had called him a 'Fuck-wit,' an insult she had picked up from a past foster brother.

"Amazing," Iolande breathed, "I can only imagine what that is like," she added morosely.

Arley frowned in the Queen's direction; she knew it wasn't part of the job to judge alien cultures and that, in fact it was explicitly stated that Green Lanterns were not to do so, but the longer Arley looked at the Queens deep frown the more she found the bubble of judgement inflating in her throat.

"You don't have to marry Kothak," Arley said suddenly, "Or Dulac, not if you don't want to. You should marry someone you love."

Iolande shot Arley a sad smile.

"That's not the way of my people; culture demands I take a King to rule by my side."

"You know my friend once said culture was just the dead's way of peer pressuring us into doing things we wouldn't do otherwise," Arley said; Artemis had come up with that when she'd had to write an essay on traditions for one of her classes.

Iolande didn't reply and Arley moved from the end of the bed to where Iolande was sitting.

"Look I'm not going to pressure you into doing something, that'd make me the same as Kothak and everyone else but if there's one thing I've learned since getting this ring is that there's seldom things more implant than the right to choose."

"But," Iolande gulped, "But what if I choose and it's not the right one, what if I make a decision and it's a bad one?" Iolande grasped Arley's hand, "What if Kothak is right, what if I can't rule alone?"

And what if Wally was alive right now? What if she hadn't tagged along with Hal and Kilowog?

"And what if the universe ended right now?" Arley rebutted, "Look, my lady, I think the fact you're worried for your people so much that you would enter into a loveless marriage for their sake is proof enough that Kothak is wrong, that you are a worthy leader , but even if it's not you can't focus on the what-ifs, you're a Queen, the people rely on you, you have to be sure of yourself."

"And what if I can't be?" Iolande asked quietly,

"Then you can't be Queen." Iolande's eyes widened, Arley shook off Iolandes hands and placed her own on the Queens shoulders, "There's two million people on Betrassus and all of them are counting on you to make sure they're safe and that they can afford the food on their tables, if you're too busy worrying about yourself-second guessing everything, than you can't take care of them."

"I know," Iolande breathed.

"So chin up, deep breath in, and realize you're the kriffing Queen," Arley said brightly; the corners of Iolande's lips tipped upwards.

The alien woman's eyes met Arleys as her fingers wrapped around Arley's wrists, Iolandes chin tipped up and the Queen took a deep breath through her nose.

"You truly think I can lead my people?"

"Sure," Arley said, "You're smart and you care about them, and well, a lot of rulers forget to do that so really, how can you not be?"

"Thank you," Iolande said looking at Arley.

"It's not a problem your majesty," Arley replied. Gently she took back her hands; her uniform appeared over her borrowed clothing, "I should be getting back to my ship, Hal and Kilowog were probably expecting me back by now."

"Of course," Iolande said as she got her feet. The two women walked over to the alien Queen's balcony, "Have a wonderful night Green Lantern Arley."

Arley waved her hand at the Queen, "Just Arley please, and thank you I will-I'll get your clothes back to you tomorrow."

This time Iolande waved Arley off, "Keep them please, I have far too many nightdresses as is."

Arley bowed once more in leu of thanking Iolande once more.

**…**

The stands of the Betrassus coliseum Arley, Hal and Kilowog all found themselves in were all filled with cheering citizens. Children sat on their parents shoulders and men could be seen nudging one another excitedly as they awaited the fight for Iolandes hand.

Arley, between Hal and Kilowog sat on the dais with Iolandes brother Ragnar; behind them, perched high upon her throne and dressed in beautiful white robes, looking every bit a bride as she was about to become, sat Iolande.

Peeking over her shoulder Arley met the Queens eyes and the pair shared a small smile; quickly though, the pair looked away from one another as the gate that Kothak had been standing behind was drawn upwards. The crowd went wild as the guardsman stepped out into the arena.

Ragnar, as Kothak raised his hand to the crowd, cupped his hands over his mouth and booed loudly in the man's direction. Kothak mounted some sort of scooter; it was purple and hovered in the air.

Dulocs gate opened, only no one stepped out; the Green Lantern never appeared. After a moment hushed whispers overtook the crowd and Arley, Hal and Kilowog were all left hovering over their seats in concern.

The three of them may not have known Duloc but they didn't need to, he was a Corpsman, like them; he was family all the same.

A guard in the coliseum pit ran up to the dais; a deep frown etched onto his face.

"My lady!" He called out, "Sir Duloc cannot be found!"

"Clearly your precious Green Knight has fled!" Kothak called out as he flew high into the air until he was eye level with Arley.

"That doesn't make any sense," Kilowog said lowly to Arley and Hal, "Name one Green Lantern you've ever known to have run away from a fight."

 _None_ , Arley thought; Green Lanterns were given their rings— were chosen to become Corpsmen —because they not only had an indomitable will, but because they had the power to overcome great fear. Green Lanterns didn't flee.

"Duloc has forfeited the challenge!" Kothak claimed, "Iolande is mine! We saw yesterday that there is no one brave enough on Betrassus to face me!"

"Maybe not then, but there is one now!" Hal declared as he got to his feet. Kilowog leaned back in his seat with a tired sigh; Arley crossed her arms over her chest, not the least bit surprised. "I will fight for the hand of Iolande!"

"Here we go," Kilowog grumbled as he tipped his large goblet upwards before taking a swig.

**…**

Back at the palace, as Iolande, with her hands on her hips tilted her head up high, and Kothak with a pointed and outstretched finger wagging in Iolandes direction, Arley watched the pair argue.

"I will not allow it!" Kothak shouted, "The Green Lantern is an outsider, with no royal blood whatsoever!"

Kilowog grabbed Hal's upper arm, and dragged the Lantern closer as Iolande shouted something back at Kothak in return.

"You know if you win this thing you're going to be stuck here and rule, right! We got an agenda-an intergalactic menace to destroy!"

Hal took his arm back from Kilowog.

"There's also, you know, Carol," Arley added pointedly, "I really don't see having a wife making Carol want to finally put a label on what you two have."

"Don't the two of you get your panties in a twist," Hal said, "I'll defeat Kothak and release Iolande to rule in her own right. That way everyone wins and I don't have to marry her. Booyah."

Hal clapped Kilowog on the shoulder and swiped his hand over Arley's head before he walked over to Iolande and Kothak, the both of whom were still arguing loudly over what tradition allowed and what she, as Queen, could do.

"Dose even understand that the challenge must be fought without his precious power ring?" Kothak snappily sneered at Iolande.

"He does," Hal cut in, "He's also right here so you can stop talking about him like he's in the third person. And he also looks forward to kicking your ass tomorrow."

Kothak glared at Hal before stalking off— the Betrassian guard was sure to slam his shoulder into Hal's as he stalked out of the room —Iolande turned to Hal. Arley and Kilowog made their way over to the pair and huddled around Hal.

"Thank you but, you do not have to do this," Iolande said, "Kothak could very much hurt you in tomorrow's battle."

"I know," Hal replied as he placed a hand on Iolandes shoulder, "But I also know we're going to find Duloc before tomorrow's duel and that if Kothak had anything to do with his disappearance, well that would disqualify him from competing for your hand right?"

"You would think," Iolande breathed.

"Well no matter what Kothak won't be marrying you," Arley said. Iolande looked brightly at Arley, "You have my word," Arley swore. Whether it was Hal or Duloc, Arley knew that no Green Lantern would lose out to someone as pigheaded as Kothak.

Iolande reached out and grabbed Arley's hand, "Thank you."

Arley squeezed the Queens hand in return.

"No thanks needed my lady, now if you'll excuse us Hal, Kilowog and I, we should start looking for Duloc," Arley said kindly

"Of course," Iolande said, gently she released Arley's hand and with one small step back the Queen looked at Arley before spinning on her heel and walking swiftly out of the throne room. Arley turned to see Hal looking down at her with raised brows.

"What?" Arley blinked. Hal blinked in return.

"Nothing-I just, we should probably call Razer and Aya and let them know we'll be a while," Hal told her.

Arley's nose twitched; Hal might have been able to lie to alien's on other planets and to other Corps Members but he couldn't lie to her, Arley knew the pilot too well, she knew what the twitch of his index finger and the wiggle of his ear meant.

Nonetheless, completely, and wordlessly, Arley followed Hal and Kilowog out of the throne room. They didn't have to argue over whether Hal was lying— and over whatever he was lying about; because Arley knew the man was lying —they had a missing Lantern on their hands, one who could be hurt and dying.

Several moments later Hal, Kilowog and Arley all found themselves standing outside on one of the castle's many balconies, a green holographic image of Razer illuminated over Hal's ring.

"The ship is primed and ready to leave, why aren't you back here with the Lantern we tracked?"

"He's gone missing," Hal replied.

"I can easily find him," Razer replied with a thumb jabbed into his own chest; pointed straight at the Red Lantern symbol on his chest.

"What? No, you can't just go running around in your Red Lantern get up, we have enough on our hands without you starting a panic."

"My talents are wasted waiting here" Razer snapped.

Hal shot Razer the same look he always gave Guy whenever the red headed Lantern got too belligerent; "Stay with Aya and have her run a scan for Dulocs power ring."

With that Hal ended the transmission; he looked over his shoulder at Arley and Kilowog.

"I want you two it start searching the city for Duloc," he ordered.

"And what about you Hotshot?" Kilowog asked with his arms folded over his chest and unimpressed glint shining in his eyes, "If Kothak really is taking out the competition you'll be next."

"Look I'll be fine, I'm going to try to get some practice in on that machine Kothak was riding before, something tells me it wasn't just for style points."

**…**

As Arley and Kilowog roamed the Capital city of Betrassus, looking for Duloc, Arley caught Kilowog's elbow in her grasp; the pair of them were floating in the air, Duloc's quarters and usual stomping grounds had come up empty, as were all the abandoned warehouses that littered the cities outskirts.

The Lantern had seemingly vanished, but that wasn't what Arley needed to talk to the Bolvaxian about.

"Got an idea on where Duloc might be?" Kilowog asked.

Arley grimaced; the only thing Duloc had in common with what Arley needed to talk to Kilowog about was the fact that he was a Lantern.

"No-I, Kilowog—" the words caught in Arley's throat, "—Can we land first?"

"Sure," Kilowog said; the pair landed in a relatively abandoned alleyway; an alien cat— or at least what looked like could be the alien equivalent to a cat —sat on the dumpster Arley and Kilowog had landed by, it's bright purple eyes practically glowed in the shadowy alleyway.

"Alright kid, we landed, what's wrong? You look like you're about to be sick again." Because she was.

"I—" What was so hard? Razer and Aya both already knew; Aya had to know, she heard everything that went on in the ship after all.

Arley sucked in a deep breath, heroes didn't wallow. Green Lanterns didn't falter in the face of adversity.

"—When I get back to Earth I'm leaving the Corps!" Arley all but shouted at the Bolvaxian. Kilowogs red eyes went wide and his ears laid back against his head, he frowned and Arley's stomach twisted inside of her.

 _He's disappointed,_ Arley thought, _I knew it._

"Why?" Kilowog asked softly; it was the same tone he used to use when she was a child, still new to the Corps and fresh under his wing.

"Because Wally's dead and I can't leave this kid without a mom-I know they wouldn't be fed to the wolves, that someone would take them in whether it be Hal or Conner or Artemis or Dickie or someone else, I know that! But I can't die on them and you know as well as I do that—"

"—Growing old in the Corps is a privilege, not a right," Kilowog said with her. "Kid you know that I-that none of us would let something happen to you, right? Besides with that ring of yours—"

"—I can't hear Aniell anymore!" Arley confessed loudly; Kilowogs mouth dropped open.

"Since when!"

"Since Wally's funeral," Arley said shamefully. Arley peeked up to see Kilowogs mind go into overdrive, to work through the same theories she'd spent the last two and a half months going over in her own head. She'd thought about the timeline; it wasn't because of the pregnancy, Aniell wouldn't just come back once the baby was born.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I was scared I guess," Arley shrugged, "At first I thought I was dying, that not being able to hear Aniell was because of that but then we found out about the baby and than that theory didn't make sense and I just-I couldn't tell you guys about Aniell."

"Just like you couldn't tell us about leaving the Corps!" Kilowog said severely.

"Yes!" Arley shouted, "Yes exactly, because if I told you Aniell retreated back into the ring, probably because of something I did and if I told you about me leaving the Corps you wouldn't want to be in my life anymore!" Arley's throat closed for a second, her eyes flooded with tears and her bottom lip trembled violently, "And I can't lose anyone else right now. I-I can't."

Kilowog's shoulders dropped, his large hands hovered over Arley's shoulders before he scooped her up into a tight hug. Arley wound her own arms tightly around the Bolvaxians thick neck, tears cascaded down her face.

"Never," the alien swore, "Nortz kid, haven't you gotten yet?" Kilowog wondered into her hair, his own voice thick with emotions, "We're family. The only way you're getting rid of me is on a pyre."

Arley let out a sob.

Hal and Guy and John, they were her fathers but before them Kilowog had been there; just like them Kilowog was her dad.

**…**

Though the sun wasn't visible from Betrassus the bright yellow sky was darkening once more and night was approaching; Arley and Kilowog— both with dry eyes —found themselves side by side, once more on the dias in the Betrassian coliseum.

In the pit, as Iolande watched from her own machine, Kilowog and Arley saw Kothak— metaphorically —running circles around Hal; only to then see the Betrassian roughly knock Hal off of his machine and onto the coliseum's dirt flooring.

"Think it'll come to blows?" Kilowog wondered. Arley, as Kothak's shoulders pushed themselves back and he stayed seated on his machine, shook her head.

"Nah-but damn, I hope Hal lays him out tomorrow." Kilowog made a sound of agreement; Kothak, down below, rode off, out of the coliseum.

Iolande, still riding her own machine, approached Hal, and Hal, getting to his feet, look at the Queen with a bashful smile on his face; once Hal was back on his machine and as the Queen and him rode out of the coliseum Ragar, the Queen's brother, holding two large goblets in his hands approached Kilowog and Arley.

He held them out to both Arley and Kilowog, "I thought, after your search, you two might be thirsty."

Before Arley could grab her goblet, Kilowog grabbed both from the young Prince.

"Thanks but she can't have any."

Arley shot the Prince an apologetic look as his head cocked sideways.

"Oh?"

Arley and Kilowog shared a glance between themselves; they knew it wasn't smart to go spouting off about her pregnancy— not in Red territory —but Ragnar was a Prince, Iolande's brother and someone Duloc had seemed to trust.

"I'm expecting," Arley told the young monarch a moment later. Kilowog set the second goblet down on the table in front of them; he eyed the contents of his drink before he shrugged and took a large sip.

"You are?" Ragnars eyes brightened as he took the seat next to Arley, "If you don't mind me asking-the child's other parent, are they also a Green Lantern?"

Arley felt herself stiffened. She supposed she would have to get used to that question; where was her child's father?

"Uh-no," Arley breathed, "He um, he wasn't a Lantern."

The young Princes brows knitted together before clarity quickly washed over his face.

"Oh, I am sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

"It's fine," Arley lied. A tense silence blanketed itself over the young Prince and the two Lanterns for a moment before Ragnar looked to Kilowog.

"Have I told you yet what an honor it is to have you here?"

"Over and over," Kilowog said with the ghost of a teasing smile on his lips. Ragnar sighed and looked out to the empty coliseum.

"My beloved Kingdom is under threat and I don't just mean by the Red Lanterns, there's an internal threat as well, so having three Green Lanterns here is a great comfort," the Prince said. Warning bells went off in Arley's mind.

Arley straightened ever so slightly in her seat as not to let Ragnar see— she felt Kilowog tense in his next to hers —and she forced an easy going smile onto her face.

"Four Lanterns, counting Duloc, as soon as we track him down," Kilowog said.

"Five if you count Aya," Arley added airily.

…

It was already dark when Razer and Aya called them; the five of them— Arley and the others —met in an alleyway. Her shoulder was pressed flush against Hals as the pair of them leaned against a wall, Kilowog leaned on the alleyway wall parallel to them and Razer and Aya peaked out from behind a metal gate that was to Arley's right.

"Great job following orders, do I need to write them down for now on?" Hal asked sarcastically.

"A warrior acts," Razer shot back.

"A warrior listens to his superiors," Kilowog supplemented.

Arley held her hand up when she saw Razer's mouth open once more; just because he and Kilowog were no longer trying to kill one another didn't mean they got along, it just meant when they fought the ship— and she —were in less danger of being caught in the crossfire.

"Enough," Arley said, "He can get the insaboradination lecture later, what have you two found?"

"We found Green Lantern Dulocs body in the catacombs," Razer answered. Arley felt her heart clench and her mind be thrown into overdrive; Prince Ragnar's voice echoed in her ears. "We're still trying to locate his power ring," the Red Lantern added.

"If it hasn't chosen a new barer already," Kilowog remarked, "The thing could be on the other side of the sector."

"No," Aya shook her head. "My sensors indicate the ring is still somewhere inside the castle walls."

"My gut instinct says so is the killer," Hal said darkly.

"Then we must find this killer and bring him to justice," Aya said, "It is what Green Lanterns do, is it not?"

"It is," Arley nodded in the AI's direction; Aya flashed Arley a small smile.

"And we will," Hal added, "But we need to be careful about this. You two go back to the ship, we'll call if we need backup but honestly, we'll probably just need a quick exit. Arley, Kilowog and I have a trap to set."

Without another word the five split; Razer and Aya once more drifted back into the shadows as Arley, Kilowog and Hal all started back towards the castle where they had agreed to stay for the night.

 _This will destroy Iolande,_ Arley couldn't help but think.

**…**

By the time they were once more in the Betrassian coliseum the sun hadn't yet risen; the sky was still dark though, as the minutes ticked by the morning sky shifted from a dark black to a muddy brown, it had yet to turn any kind of yellow.

Arley and Kilowog watched as Hal, holding a large lance in one hand and dressed in a suit of armor, rode out into the coliseum pit. Arley and Kilowog cheered loudly; their voices could be heard over the screaming Betrassians that filled the stands.

Kothak, holding a large lance of his own, entered the coliseum from the other end, the alien— on his machine —and dressed in his usual guardsmen uniform Hal in the middle of the coliseum; the pair rode up to the dais.

Behind them, with a single goblet of ale in his hand, Ragnar approached both Kilowog and Arley, the young Prince looking solely at Kilowog. It was as if Arley didn't exist.

"Another flaggen of that ale you so enjoyed before?" Ragnar asked Kilowog, practically shoving the large goblet into his hands. Kilowog peered into the goblet and beamed at it; Arley watched as Kilowog nodded at Ragar.

"You remembered the slime!" Kilowog cheered. Ragnar took the seat next to Kilowog; the Bolvaxian had refused to allow Arley to take the middle seat when they'd been sitting and instead all but forced the human Lantern into the far left end seat.

"Iolande prepare to wed as soon as I defeat this peasant!" Kothak sneered.

"Remember you place Kothak," Iolande drawled.

"Yeah! Moof-miker!" Arley called out antagonistically, the same way Guy and John called out Earth based expletives when their favorite sports teams were on the television; Kothak's chin jerked up and the alien glared at her, Arley shot the alien an equally nasty look.

With a snarl Kothak turned and drove his machine to the center of the coliseum; with a two fingered salute in their— and Iolandes —direction Hal followed after Kothak, the pair circled the middle of the pit for a moment before coming to a stop several feet away from one another.

Hal and Kothak both lowered the face shields on their helmets, behind Arley, Kilowog and Ragnar, Iolande stood with a small flag she'd been handed raised high above her head. The coliseum had quieted; with baited breath the crowd waited and a moment later, when Iolande dropped the flag and the duel had begun, the crowd of alien comminors roared back to life.

Hal and Kothak aimed their lances at one another as they drove head first at each other, they clashed and Kothaks lance clanged loudly against Hal's armor as they flew by on one another on their machines; Hal wobbled backwards, though quickly managed to regain his grip on the machine he was flying.

"Chin up Jordan!" Kilowog shouted, "Keep your chin up!" Kilowog took a long— fake —swig of the ale Ragnar had given him and Kothak and Hal, on their machines, turned to each other once more.

As Kothak and Hal drove head first at one another Hal stabbed his lance forward, knocking Kothak into the air as his machine— now driverless —spun out of control and into a coliseum wall, exploding.

On his feet and— as Hal raised his lance victoriously in the air —now with his helmet off Kothack grabbed a sharp spear he had strapped to his back and threw it at the back of Hal's machine. Arley's eyes went wide as dangerous sparks erupted from the back of the machine; as thick, dark smoke billowed from the back of the machine Hal threw himself to the pits, dirt covered flooring.

Behind him, as Hal stood up, his machine erupted into flames. Hal reached behind him and grabbed his shield and the battle axe that he'd entered the coliseum with; Kothak, who hadn't worn a shield and instead had carried a battle axe like Hal's into the coliseum pit, pulled his secondary weapon out himself.

Kothak swung first, Hal threw his shield up; Kothak stepped back as he drew his arm upwards once more, the Bestrassian's legs shot out and the flat of his boot kicked off against Hal's chest, pushing the Lantern backwards onto the dirt flooring.

"Come on Hal!" Arley shouted; one of her hands cupped her mouth, the other was pressed against her stomach. Hal was the best of them— the first human Lantern in over two hundred years —he wasn't going to lose, but nonetheless worry bubbled inside of her.

Kothak brought the blade of his axe down onto where Hal way laying only to hit dirt when Hal rolled out of his way.

"That's it Jordan!" Kilowog shouted; he threw his head back and poured the goblet of ale back; though it looked like Kilowog was sloppily drinking— already half drunk and too excited to remember manors —Arley watches as none of what Prince Ragnar had given him made it into his mouth and instead waterfall down the front of his uniform.

Kilowog sucked in a loud breath of air, his eyes had blown up wide as as he began gasping, his hand beat at the front of his uniform. Arley jumped from her seat, her hands gripped at Kilowog's arm; behind her, Prince Ragnar remained seated, though he had turned to look at them.

"Kilowog!" Arley shrieked.

Kilowog sucked in another breath before he fell backwards— Arley let out a loud, shrill scream; Iolande did as well, the crowd became silent at the sound of their Queens distress —onto the dais flooring. Kilowogs eyes shut as he let out that last gasp of air.

"No!" Arley screamed as she dropped to her knees. She cradled Kilowogs hand in hers and for the first time since she'd discovered she was pregnant Arley— as red hot tears spilled over onto her cheeks —found herself thankful for her out-of-whack hormones.

Iolande, who had rushed from her throne, down onto the dais, looked at Arley, her pink hand hovered over the Lantern's shoulder before she moved to the goblet Kilowog had been drinking from. The Queen picked the goblet off of the ground and gasped,

"Poison?" Iolande looked out at the crowd that had gone silent; Arley continued to cry, she thought of how disappointed Hal and her other partners would be when she turned over her ring and how one day her child would ask what their father was like— because Wally was dead and they would never know him —and Arley would have to tell them and she would have to pause because it'd been years since he'd died and some days she struggled to remember the sound of his laughter.

"He's been murdered!" Iolande called out to her people. Iolande set the goblet back down as Arley continued to grasp at Kilowog's hand, wringing it between her fingers; the Queen turned to Arley as she kneeled next to the sobbing Lantern and the pads of Iolande's fingers ghosted over Arley's upper arm.

Arley turned away from Kilowog and threw her arms around Iolande's shoulders; she buried her head into the crook of the Queen's neck. Iolande wasted no time in wrapping her arms around Arley; the Queen pulled the human Lantern closer to herself.

Arley could hear Hal rush up the steps of the dais.

"Kilowog!" Hal panted as he dropped next to the Bolvaxian; the kneepads of his armor clanged as they hit the dais stone flooring, "Speak to me! Come on!"

Arley turned away from Iolande, though the Queens arms stayed securely around her.

"Hal," Arley croaked, she shook her head.

"No," Hal denied, Hal looked down at Kilowog and shook his head; the Lantern grabbed at the goblet Kilowog had been given and Arley moved out of Iolande's grasp, sniffling loudly as she did so. "Whoever did this will pay!"

"The death of the outsider is inconsequential!" Kothak called out; he was on a new machine and hovering next to the dais; Kothak jumped from his machine onto the dais, "I demand my challenger return to the field so that I may beat him and become the rightful king of Betrassus!"

Kilowog's ring glowed and Arley's eyes followed the glowing light as it moved from Kilowog's finger to Iolande— the Queen touched the gem of her locket as the light hovered in front of her —before it moved around Kothak and slid over Prince Ragnar's finger.

The Prince's dark eyes lit up and a large smile stretched across his face; the prince held his hand up for all to see.

"Finally!" Ragnar hissed, "It's mine! The power I've dreamed of!"

Arley's eyes narrowed; in the corner of her eyes the Lantern saw Iolande frown in her brother's direction.

Kothak, who looked annoyed more than anything, peered over at the young Prince, "Again, I protest this delay!"

"Your silly contest no longer matters Kothak," Ragnar told the guardsman, "What matters now is that I'm a Green Lantern and am the most powerful citizen on Betrassus!" Ragnar, smirking, held his fist up for Kothak to see. "I shall be your ruler! Bow down and google to me! Your new king!"

"You did this!" Hal accused Ragnar, "You murdered Kilowog!"

Ragnar spun and looked at Hal, the Prince didn't even look remorseful; Ragnar looked as if he'd knocked into a palace maid, not murdered two men.

"I had too, you told me that when a Lantern dies that their ring searches for the next worthy person, and knowing myself to be the most worthy I killed Duloc so that his ring might come to me—" Ragnar's voice was drowned out by the booing crowd, he spun to look out at them. "—Do not judge me!" The prince shouted loudly, his voice echoed throughout the coliseum, "I loved Duloc more than any of you, that's why I killed him! To honor him by being his successor!"

Arley and Hal got to their feets.

"And Kilowog!" Arley demanded, "Why him!"

As they stalked closer to the Prince he walked backwards; sidestepping them until he was where they had been and the two Lanterns had their backs pressed up against the dais wall.

"Dulocs ring didn't come to me, I had to try again. I had too!"

"Sorry but we can't let you get away with this," Hal said.

"You don't have a choice! None of you do!" Ragar's chin tilted up and the Prince frowned at them; Iolande got her feet and Kothak raised his battle axe, only as the Prince held up his still glowing ring, both Arley and Hal crossed their arms over their chests.

Ragnar thrust his fist out only for the light that had settled onto his finger to die out into green wisps of nothing. Ragnar's eyes flickered to his hand and Arley took three large steps forward, her fist flew through the air and cut across the Prince's cheek, sending him sprawled out to the floor.

"What happened to my ring!" Ragnar cried as he moved, he started to pat around the floor, "Where is my ring! I want my ring!"

"I still have it," Kilowog said grouchily. The Bolvaxian slowly took up; the crowd of Bestrassians that littered the coliseum stands cheered as he looked down at the Prince. "The ring you thought you had was just a construct I made while playing dead."

Arley half turned to look at Kilowog, and Hal clasped the alien on his shoulder; Kothak looked bewildered whilst Iolande, beaming at Kilowog, clasped her hands together in front of herself.

"Great performance buddy," Hal said.

"Really?" Kilowog asked in a faux-bashful tone, "I kind of thought slobbering the grog all over the place was a bit much but I sure as kriff wasn't going to drink any!"

Iolande approached her brother as he got to his feet; her hand rested on his shoulder and a small, disappointed frown graced her lips.

"Oh Ragnar, I'm heartbroken."

Ragnar batted his sisters hand away.

"This is my planet," Ragnar seethed, he glared at Arley and the rest of the people— at Kothak and Iolande and the commoners in the crowds —before his arm shot out and wrapped itself around Iolandes neck, his other hand unsheathed the sword that had been at his side. He held the pointed tip to his sister's neck.

"My Queen!" Kothak called out.

"Iolande!"

"Your reign ends now sister-just look at how easily I paid off your guards!" Almost as if on queue, several guardsmen, all with their swords drawn and pointed at Kothak and the three Lanterns, rushed up the steps. "If I cannot rule Betrassus then neither can you. Attack!"

Ragnar— as the guards circled Arley, Hal, Kothak and Kilowog —dragged Iolande through an archway, his elbow jutted out and closed the gate behind him as Iolande struggled in his arms.

"Kilowog my ring!" Hal said; Kilowog reached into his uniform to grab it only for the three Lanterns to be split as the guardsmen Ragnar had bribed lunged at them.

Arley sidestepped and twirled around one guard, her fist flew out and hit the guards stomach, grabbing the back of his chest plate Arley threw the alien off the dais; Kothak attacked the guard who had tried to sneak up on Kilowog and Kilowog took that moment to throw Hal his ring.

Arley thought of chain scythe and the weapon formed in her hands, as one guard drew his sword from his hip the chain of Arley's weapon wrapped around the man's leg and when she quickly drew her arm back the blade of her glowing green chain scythe cut through the man's armor, as he crumpled to the ground the alien let out a choked yelping sound.

Kothak jumped from the dais and back onto his machine and Arley looked out into the coliseum as a zooming sound filtered through her ears; struggling against him, Arley caught sight of Iolande still alive and in Ragnar's grasp.

Arley saw them— and Kothak who was on their tail —disappear through another archway.

"Ragnar's getting away!" Arley called out, she jumped over the side of the dais and flew into the air; Kilowog and Hal followed after her, the three of them hovered over the coliseum. "There!" She shouted when she caught sight of Ragnar and Kothaks machines.

Swooping down, Arley, Kilowog and Hal watched as Ragnar's sword cut through the base of sculpture; the sculpture tipped forward and Kothak, who'd been slightly behind Ragnar was thrown off of his machine when the art piece clipped the tail end of it.

None of the three Lanterns stopped to see if he was okay.

"Give it up Ragnar!" Hal shouted, "Don't be stupid!"

Ragnar stopped at a corner, Arley, Hal and Kilowog all formed claws with their ring and as soon as the three Lanterns has shot them in the Prince's direction, Ragnar sped off; Hal, Arley and Kilowog constructs embedded themselves into the wall and as they turned the corner Ragnar had gone down, three claws vanished.

Arley could see the front gates of the Capital city; she heard a guard yell to close the gates and with a bright and glowing ring, she, Hal and Kilowog all once more threw out glowing green constructs. Their constructs caught onto the back of Ragnar's machine and both he and Iolande were thrown from it, the siblings rolled out on the rode, though Ragnar wasted no time in getting to his feet.

Ragnar pulled a groaning Iolande up and he held his sword to her throat; the guards who had been manning the city's gate took several steps forward as Arley, Hal and Kilowog all landed; trapping the Prince.

"Stay back!" Ragnar demanded, "Let me go or I'll kill her right here!"

Arley met Iolandes eyes and the Queen didn't look scared; she looked betrayed and hurt but she didn't look terrified, like most monarchs in her place would be. Arley offered the Queen a small smile, she'd been right the night before, when Kilowog had asked who they thought had gotten the ring.

"Iolande put the ring on now!"

Iolande didn't hesitate, she snapped the locket around her throat open and a Green Lantern ring— Dulocs —fell into her hand, the Queen slipped it onto her finger and green wrapped around her, just as it had wrapped around Arley thirteen years ago.

Ragnar was thrown back as light encased his sister and Iolande, floating over the ground loathed ethereal; her crown had gone green, as had the markings on her face and her eyes as well. Ragnar, with a cry jumped to his feet and swung his sword at his sister but Iolande, formed a construct in her hands— a sword of her own —and Ragnar's blade shattered in his grasp.

Iolande's leg shot out and Ragnar was kicked back; his broken blade clattered to the ground and as Iolande pointed the tip of her construct at Ragnar, the young Prince trembled before her.

"Quarter!" He cried, "I beg for Quarter!"

The glow that Iolande had been bathed in died and as she looked down at her brother all Arley could see on the Queen's face was disgust.

**…**

By the time they had gotten back to the castle the sky had turned yellow and Arley, Hal and Kilowog— along with the rest of the guards who hadn't been bought off by Ragnar —had managed to round up and cuff the guardsmen who had tried to attack them back at the coliseum.

"The true enemy has been defeated," Iolande said. She stood, in her Green Lantern uniform, at the base of the stairs that lead to her throne, looking down at her brother and the guardsmen, all of whom kneeled before her. "We thank our Lantern friends for bringing them to justice-guards round up any more traitors and take my brother and his men to the tower."

Two guardsmen picked Ragnar up by his upper arms and the disgraced Prince snarled at Iolande and the other Lanterns, his men were led from the room after him but the young Prince, as he was led out of the castle doors fought against the guards holding him.

"You'll all be sorry! I'll be a Lantern and then you will all be sorry!" Ragnar shouted before being pushed out the doors. His men grumbled under his breaths and when the door shut behind them Kothak moved to stand in front of Iolande.

"My Lady," Kothak said, "You will be-nay, you already are—" the alien kneeled before her, "—A great leader. You are my Queen and sovereign. To you, I offer all my loyalty."

"Better late than never," Hal scoffed; Arley nodded as the other guardsmen still in the room kneeled. Slowly the three Lanterns followed suit; Arley, as she bowed her head, met Iolandes sparkling eyes and the Lantern's grin couldn't help but grow at the sight of the alien Queen standing confidently before her.

"To our Queen and sovereign!"

**…**

Iolande and Arley leaned against the banister that wrapped around the Queens balcony. They were both in their uniforms and the pair were shoulder to shoulder as they looked out onto the palace gardens. Though the planet was mostly desert, the alien fauna that littered the royal gardens was beautiful.

 _Wally would think this place is beautiful,_ Arley thought as she looked at the alien ivy that grew around the fountain in the center of the gardens and as she took in the bright pink flowers that almost seemed to be breathing from their spot near the castle walls.

Iolande looked at Arley and the Lantern's thoughts were torn away from Wally and the alien planet life before her.

"Did you know all along that it was Ragnar that murdered Duloc?"

"At first we thought he was just missing, that maybe Kothak and his men managed to subdue him in his sleep and were just going to keep him captive until you were married off but after we found Dulocs body Hal mentioned how your brother was just a little too curious on how to become a Lantern and well, by then your brother had already said that there were three Lanterns on the planet and really only the person who had killed Duloc would know that."

Iolande's lips moved as she digested what Arley had presented.

"But-how did you know I had the ring?"

"Well," Arley smiled, she turned so that her arm was resting on the balconies banister, "Once we knew Duloc was dead, we all knew his ring would choose the next worthy person to wield it and, well like I said, you're worthy, of your crown and the ring-your ring."

Iolandes chest swelled as she took a deep breath in; the Queen turned to face Arley, the very tips of their gloves brushed against one another.

"Thank you," Iolande said softly as she looked down at the human Lantern, she was taller than Arley at least by a head, "For everything."

"It's no problem," Arley replied, she looked at the ring on Iolande's hand and then back up at the Queens dark eyes, "I guess it'd be stupid to ask if you'd like to join us in out fight?"

"I'd love nothing more, but before I am a Green Lantern, I'm a Queen. And duty to my people comes first; will always come first," Iolande said, "You were right, there are seldom few things more important in the universe than the freedom to choose-but my birthright is not something I can choose. But this is."

Iolande's hand moved from the banister to the underside of Arley's jaw and swiftly leaned in and pressed her lips against Arley's; they were warm and nice if Arley wasn't in love with Wally— wasn't in love with a dead man —she wouldn't have pushed Iolande away, would have lost herself to the kiss, but she was still very much in love with Wally West.

She always would be.

"I'm sorry," Arley said immediately, she could still feel Iolande's breath fanning against her face, the Queen's hand fell from her jaw and settled on her shoulder, "I-it's not you. I'm in love with someone already—"

"—Your father's already told me," Iolande said; Arley's brows knitted together.

"But, then why'd you kiss me?"

"Because Hal Jordan also told me of what happened to your love, about your child," Arley straightened under Iolande's grasp, "And while I do not have many choice in life, I am making the choice to let you know where I stand-how I feel, inspire of this knowledge."

Iolande leaned back in— Arley didn't move away from the Queen; Arley trusted Iolande not to try to kiss her again —Iolande's lips hovered over Arley's, the human Lantern wouldn't even have to lean in to kiss the Queen once more, just simply turn her head up, "You and your child will always have a home on Betrassus, if you would ever like one."

Arley opened her mouth to reply— to say something like _'No thank you'_ or _'I'm flattered but'_ —only for no sound to come out.

Iolande stepped back, away from Arley and her hand dropped from Arley shoulder, and with a warm, fleeting look Iolande turned back into her bedroom, slowly shutting the door behind her, leaving Arley to stare at the large bedroom doors.

Wally would want her to be happy, he would want their child— their baby boy or baby girl —to be happy and healthy and cared for, and yet Arley couldn't fathom it; she couldn't imagine in five or ten or even fifteen years time ever moving on from him.

Wally West was the love of her life, how could she just move on from that? Move from him?

She couldn't. She wouldn't because she knew that Wally West wasn't just the love of her life; he was her soul mate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shoutout to somthingcolorful; dude right now your comments are the highlight of my life so thanks!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven — Tell Me Why**   
_**"Greif is the price we pay for love and it is worth paying; remember that."**_

_The sun was on her face and Arley sucked in the smell of salt water and sand as she relined in the sun and wiggled her fingers._

_She'd had this dream before, or at least some variation of this dream; it'd taken some time but Arley had learned to tell fact from fiction, she'd had too. She wouldn't have been able to bare if it she contained to think every dream was reality. If she had closed her eyes one more time to kiss Wally only to wake up in her room aboard the Interceptor Arley wasn't sure if she would be able to handle it; to come back from the heartbreak._

_One of the ways her sub-conscious had learned to tell the difference was the fact you had more fingers in dreams._

_In this one Arley had eleven, sometimes she had twelve or thirteen but there, on the beach, she had five and six; and yet, despite the fact that it was dream and despite the fact that she had eleven fingers, Arley didn't pause because it was a dream and she only had so much time until it ended and she woke up._

_Arley was sitting on a picnic blanket, Wally's head was in her lap and her six fingers was entangled with his hair. His freckles were visible and that made sense because in the dream she was in it was warm. Arley didn't pause to think about how the only rings on her hand were the ones Wally had given her; not when Wally was there with her and their children were playing in the water and she'd be forced awake before she knew it._

_Children's laughter echoed over the sound of crashing waves; Dawn and Don, and Jake— her and Wally's son, their oldest —all cackled as they splashed each other in the ocean water. Jake had Arley's dark hair and her sandy skin but light spots— freckles, much like Wally's —dotted his lithe shoulders. He was smart like Wally and though his eyes were more brown than green sometimes he got the same look Wally always did before some great big invention._

_Usually that meant Arley would call to make sure their homeowners insurance was up to date; but nonetheless whenever her boy got that look in his eyes— the look his father got —Arley's heart would clench because he really was the perfect fusion of her and Wally._

_Jakes younger siblings, six year old Maria and four year old Rose— who was all red hair and bright green eyes, not like Maria who was a carbon copy of herself —built what were supposed to be sandcastles, only to frown as what was supposed to be their great big creation crumbled before them._

_"Jake!" Maria called out, "Jake can you help us!" Maria adored Jake; the twins— Tanner and Ben — were eight and while they were closer to Maria in age it was Jake who she always followed around and ran after._

_"In a minute Ria!" Jake called out as he dunked his cousin Don into the ocean. Dawn laughed so hard at her brothers expense the blonde speedster toppled over as a wave rolled by her._

_The twins, Tanner and Ben dug deep into and rooted around the wet sand for mole crabs. They'd probably try to keep a bucket full of them; the two of them loved animals and insects so much so that for their last birthday Hal had given the boys a pet tarantula that they had named Ricardo._

_Wally reached up and twirled a strand of Arley's hair around his finger, his wedding band glittery beautifully under the sun. Arley's gazed flickered away from the kids— her kids —and down to Wally._

_He had dark glasses pushed up the bridge of his nose and dollops of sunscreen smeared across his cheeks. He was almost forty, with laugh lines set deep into his face and yet he still looked as Handsome has he had at thirty-one and twenty-one and sixteen._

_"You know I love you right?" Wally asked Arley._

_"Of course I do," Arley replied easily. "I love you too," she added because she didn't say it enough. Hadn't said it enough. Arley could have said it all day, every day until the day she died, with every breath she had, had in her lungs and it still wouldn't have been enough. Words couldn't describe the heavy weight of love she felt in her heart; the tightness that overtook her throat every time she thought of how much love she had to give._

_"I know," Wally replied warmly. He turned away from Arley and looked over to Rose who had been looking at the both of them owlishly; her green eyes wide and her mouth dropped open to form a tiny 'o' shape. Rose beamed and waved and both Wally and Arley waved back only to look at one another once their youngest had turned away._

_Jake, Don and Dawn all slowly dragged themselves from the ocean waters and while Jake and Don trudged over to Maria and Rose, Dawn, who loved insects and all other things creepy-crawly— much to Iris' demise —as much as the younger West twins did, plopped down next to the hole Tanner and Ben had dug._

_"Let's have another one," Wally said suddenly. Arley's head almost jerked back at the speedsters words._

_"What?"_

_Wally turned and tucked his knees underneath himself, his fingers skimmed over Arley's bare shoulder._

_"Rosie's getting so big, she's going to be starting school next year and I just-I miss when she was little."_

_"Wally she's still little," Arley laughed._

_Truthfully Rose would probably always be little. Unlike Maria or the twins, all of whom had gotten Wally's height, both Jake and Rose had inherited Arley's teeny-tiny genes. Maybe they would sprout up but Jake was the smallest boy in his class and Rose only just passed Wally's kneecap; Arley's parents had been small— her mother had only been five foot and according to records her father had only been three inches taller than that —so it wasn't a surprise that two out of her three children had taken after her in the stature department._

_"You know that's not what I mean," Wally tried, "I want another baby, come on don't you?" He sang into her ear and Arley, with a grin shouldered her husband away because her kneejerk response to the question was Yes, she did want another kid._

_Arley loved babies— children —back when she had been a child herself and in the system and before the fact that being in Foster Care was supposed to mean every man for themselves, it had been Arley who made sure the younger kids in the homes she'd been placed in were okay._

_"I dunno, Wally we're almost forty," Arley said._

_They were thirty-eight and already had so much going on._

_Arley was a social worker for troubled teens and had a habit of every so often taking one under her wing; she'd become a foster mother herself after Jack had been born. Currently the teen they had been fostering— a girl named Nina —had aged out of the system several weeks ago and had skipped the family trip to finish on packing for college as she had decided she'd wanted to dorm. And besides all that— their oldest moving out, Arley's job of taking new strays in and Rose getting ready for school come next year —Wally had only finished getting his PhD when Rose was born and he'd only just got told by his superiors at the college we was at he was on track for getting tenure in a few years._

_"And? Babe, this isn't the nineties it's the thirties," Wally said, "But I get it-I do, if you don't want another—"_

_"—I do though," Arley cut in, her fingers intertwined with Wally's. Even though it had been years— Arley paused, her heart sputtered and she reminded herself it hadn't been years, it'd been months; if she allowed herself to think this was anything more than a dream it would only hurt worse when she woke up —Arley could practically hear Aniell in the back of her mind calling her spineless._

_Wally's other hand cupped Arley's cheek and the pair's foreheads bumped against one another. She could hear the kids cackling in the back. It was perfect, everything was perfect, Arley's chest started to burn. None of it was real but Nortz how Arley whished it was. It wasn't fair._

_"I'm just worried," Arley murmured._

_"Why?" Wally breathed, "Babe it's you and me, there's nothing we can't do."_

_Arley felt her lips twitch up and before she could say anything else a small, red headed body came barreling into her side; if she hadn't been a hero— a soldier —for half her life Arley would have toppled over. Like both sets of twins— Taner and Ben and Don and Dawn —Rosie had gotten her fathers abilities and just like both sets of twins had constantly forgotten at Rosie's age, sometimes the red headed girl forgot she wasn't supposed to use her powers so flippantly in public._

_Arley let go of Wally and scoped Rose up before settling the four year old onto her lap. Rose clung to Arley, the young girls pink, slightly sunburnt face pressed against Arley's chest._

_"Hey Princess," Wally cooed, holding Rose's ankle, "What's up?"_

_With a giggle Rose wiggled away from Wally and curled herself more firmly in Arley's lap. Maria and Taner looked like her, Jake and Ben looked like a conglomeration of her and Wally but Rosie, she was all her father; from the bright green eyes to the bright red hair to the dark freckles that dotted her young face and small shoulders._

_"Jake and Ria and Donny asks me to get them juice boxes cause they're building a whole castle!" Rosie said, the slight lisp she had developed caused every 's' sound the girl had made to come out as a 'th' one but nonetheless— especially after four other kids of their own —it was easy to understand her._

_"Yeah?" Arley said, her voice became higher and her eyes brightened, "Well then up we go." Arley moved Rose so that the young girl was standing on top of the blanket, her feet covered in sticky sand; one by one Arley handed Rose four fruit punch juice boxes. Beaming Rose leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Arley's cheek._

_"Love you baby girl," Arley said; Rose let out an excited squeal at the endearments._

_"Love you more mamá!" Rosie cried before she toddled back over to her siblings and cousin, careful not the drop the CapriSuns onto the hot sand._

_By the time Arley looked away from Rosie and the others— away from Jake who was flattening the sand and drawing an outline in it and away from Maria who had two large buckets of sea water in her hands and away from —and back to Wally, he was already looking at her. He rested his hand on top of hers and for a moment Arley thought he was going to tell her 'I told you she was getting big' but he didn't._

_The sounds of the kids began to quite and slowly Arley stopped being able to smell the sand and ocean breeze. Arley felt ice flood her veins as she clutched at his hands._

_"You're going to be a great mom Arley," Wally said._

_"No," Arley said, tears started to cloud her eyes; she wasn't sure if she was trying to cling to this dream or if she was answering him back. "I can't do this without you Wally, please." Stay with me. Come back to me. Don't leave me._

_"Hey," Wally chided, his lips ghosted over Arley's knuckles, "You're a goddamn Green Lantern, when haven't you been able to do something? Ars you're going to be a great mom."_

_"But-but what if I'm not? What if I can't love them enough? Or, what if I can't love them the way they're supposed to be loved?"_

_"Bullshit," Wally breathed. Slowly the backdrop of the beach disappeared; no longer were the kids— their kids —anywhere to be seen. "You've stopped invasions, you've saved the world and you've told Batman to fuck off, you're going to be a great mom, even if I'm not there with you."_

_"That sounds fake," Arley tried to joke and Wally leaned forward and pressed his lips to Arley's forehead in a tender and gentle kiss. Arley knew it— she could feel it in her bones —if she closed her eyes it would be over. Wally would be gone again._

_"You can't keep your eyes open forever Glowstick," Wally said._

_"I'm a Green Lantern I can do anything I put my mind too," Arley replied. Tears began to leak and spillover onto her cheeks. "What if-what if I wake up and never dream about you again? What if I loose you this time forever?"_

_"That's never going to happen, okay? I'm always going to be with you Babe, trust me." A sob ribbed through Arley and she threw herself at him, she buried her face into the crook of his neck and Wally, for a second clung to her, as if she were the only thing anchoring him down._

_"I can't do this without you Wally, I can't."_

_"You have to Ars," Wally said. "You have too."_

**...**

Arley woke up flat on her back, Wally's words ringing in her ears. Her room was small and it was dark and it wasn't like the tiny bedroom she and Wally had shared back in Palo Alto; it wasn't warm like their bedroom always had been. There was no faint snoring as Wally wasn't there and even though the Interceptors bed was small it felt too large; too empty.

Arley squeezed her eyes shut and for a moment she tried to will— the same way she would will constructs into existence —herself back into the dream. Back into Wally's arms but when that didn't work a moment later and her eyes flew back open Arley slowly sat up in her bed and threw her legs over the edge until her bare feet were pressed against the cold Interceptors flooring.

With a breath Arley's uniform materialized over her bare legs and up over her chest.

Morosely Arley stood up, she paused at her door— she didn't hear Kilowog grumbling nor did she hear Hal pacing around, she didn't even the clicking of Aya's heels as they beat against the ships metal flooring; she must not have been asleep that long —before quietly slipping out of her room.

Arley crept quietly along the ships corridors, only stopping when she got to the cockpit.

"Green Lantern Arley," Aya said Arley looked up at the ships ceiling, "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," Arley lied, "Why-why wouldn't it be?"

"Well according to my research pregnant human females should get anywhere from right to ten hours a sleep every solar day. You have barley managed that the past two," Aya responded. Arley scoffed, not at the navicomputer but at herself, because of course she hadn't been sleeping.

Wally was dead, she would give birth in space, and she had yet to talk to Hal— or John or Guy; any of them really —about leaving the Corps, because he would hate her for it.

Maybe.

Arley knew it was stupid to think that after thirteen years giving up the ring would be what pushed Hal and the others away but what if it were? What if enough was enough and once she gave her ring up Hal and the others didn't want her around anymore?

What if they did? What if they did want her around but Lantern Corps business just got in the way of that and she was forgotten?

"I'm fine Aya," Arley swallowed as she took the seat directly in front of the ships windshield; she folded one leg underneath herself and brought the other one close to her chest. She placed her chin on top of her knee and looked out at the stars.

 _I wonder if one of them is the Milky Way?_ She thought.

"Green Lantern Arley?"

"You can just call me Arley, Aya," Arley responded.

"But you are my superior officer," Aya rebuked.

"Hal and Kilowog are your-our," she corrected, "Superior officers. Me and you? We're crewmates, same as Razer."

"Oh." Aya paused, "I wanted to inquire something."

"Ask away," Arley responded curiously, her eyes flickered up to the ships ceiling. There were probably only a handful of things that the navicomputer didn't know; that she could answer for the AI.

"Why did you become a Green Lantern?" Arley blinked.

"Well the ring chose me," the human told the AI.

"That I understand but what I do not understand is why anyone would become a Green Lantern. Why dose one risk their life for another when it's impractical? Why do they accept the ring if they know they will not live long if they do? Why did you?" Aya asked Arley; Arley cucked in a deep breath in response.

"Well—" Arley cut herself off; she thought of when she first landed on Oa, how she'd needed to be chased down by the other Lanterns because in a panic she had accidently attacked Two-Six, a Lantern from sector nine-one-six and how when Ganthet and the other Lanterns— once Hal had arrived —found her perched atop the Hall of Great Service Ganthet had offered a home.

A family and how even once everything had been explained to her— how growing old in the Corps is a privilege —her answer hadn't wavered about going through boot camp and joining up.

"Honestly Aya we all join up—" because that was different than getting the ring, joining up was a commitment, a promise to uphold the oath "—For different reasons. Kilowog says he joined up because it was an honor. Hal, Hal says he joined up cause the uniform makes him look good—" and Bats and a handful of other League memeber back on Earth liked to say he joined the Corps to be already bigger showboat than he was "—But truthfully Hal joined up cause it was the right thing to do."

Hal was good like that, he always did the right thing— the good one —even if everyone else didn't think so.

Which made her fear of being left behind, alone, with a baby, all the more unfounded. But fear, even if it was rooted and supported by facts rarely ever grew to be something founded in rational thinking.

"And you?" Aya asked, "Why did you join up after the ring had chosen you? The records state you are the youngest Lantern to ever receive the ring."

"Why do you want to know?" Arley asked in return.

"Because I wish to learn how to become a Green Lantern myself," Aya replied and Arley couldn't help but smile.

"Aya you're body is literally made of willpower, the same as our constructs, if anyone is Corps material it's you."

"Sergeant Kilowog dose not think so."

"Kilowog's been around a while, back-back when he found out my ring spoke to me he thought I had Eerie Coulee Disorder." The disorder was something that plagued Corps' and Armies, it was almost like the universal name for Post Traumatic Stress; the only difference between the two disorders being that with ECD, the person suffering had severe delusions, so severe that one Fosh General Arley had once fought besides had ended up leaving his post because he thought he was a Kaadu hatchling.

"Anyway what I'm trying to say is he'll come around, okay?" Arley tacked on.

There was a beat of silence.

"Thank you."

"It's no problem Aya, really."

**...**

Though technically they didn't get tired— because how could they if time was frozen still —Roscoe and Wally had paused next to the river. The green star in the sky— the one that had appeared with him —only ever seemed to get brighter; to get bigger. The river didn't give off sound but as Wally looked down and saw an old memory playing he could hear himself screaming as he and Arley went down a snowy hill.

They'd only just become friends and Barry had driven them out to the local High School— his old high school —because behind it laid the steepest hill in the city.

It had been the first time one of them had asked the other to trust them; Arley had asked him and even at nine he'd readily answered, as if there wasn't another option. As if he couldn't not trust her.

Tearing his eyes away, Wally looked at Roscoe who was watching the water fondly.

Since leaving the makeshift campsite Wally had seen it all, he'd seen the twin boys he'd first saw in the water being born and he saw the older, dark haired girl— their sister; his daughter —holding one of them at the foot of Arley's hospital bed and he had seen Arley, pregnant and in her uniform standing under pink archways in his arms.

He saw himself getting out; he saw the family he would have waiting for him when he did.

"Hey Roscoe?" Wally asked, "What's the first thing you're gonna do when you get out of here?"

"You mean besides tryin' not to bleed to death on the battlefield?" Roscoe asked rhetorically with a teasing grin stretched across his face. Wally nudged the man with a laugh. "Alright. Write my Malaya, dunno what 'm gonna say, I couldn't see it in the water. I mean, I know the air force is gonna ship me back home but I dunno if 'm gonna tell her 'bout all this here. Why?"

Wally shrugged.

"Arley always liked to say that if you could make bad things happen by thinking about them then you could make good things happen to-before missions she used to come up with these post-mission plans, lunch, a movie, anything." When Tula— before the Atlanteans death —had asked Arley why she was making plans for a mission that could go south so fast Arley had answered,

 _'If I'm making plans I enjoy with the people I love, then there's no way I'm not going to make them. No way I'm not going to make them not make it-you know?'_ Back than Tula had nodded in response.

"And this is a mission mack?" Roscoe asked.

"Dude this is the only mission that matters," Wally replied with a grin because it was; just like there hadn't been any other option than to trust Arley all those years ago, a top that snowy hill there wasn't any other options here.

Wally would find his way back; back to his parents, to the team, to Arley.

To the baby he'd seen in the river's water.

He didn't care what he had to do, Wally West was sure, he was going to find his way back home.

**...**

Three days after her chat with Aya, still floating around the nothingness of Space, trying to track down the Red Lantern base, Arley once more found herself awake when she should be sleeping. Quietly wandering the ships halls Arley only stopped when she found Razer in the ships small dining hall; Razer didn't turn when the doors hissed open and instead continued to look at his ring.

The Red Lantern had his ring hand out in front of him, his fingers flexing every so often as he glared down at the ring.

Under the archway of the door, Arley cleared her throat and Razer turned away from his ring to look at her.

"Arley," Razer said simply, "Should you not be asleep?"

"Shouldn't you?" Arley countered; she took the seat across from him. "Why are you up?"

"I did not wish to sleep," Razer answered and Arley almost called bullshit; the only thing that stopped her was the dark and heavy look in Razers eyes. Arley knew that look, it was one she'd been wearing since she was ten.

Wally used to talk about nothing; when he talked her down from the proverbial ledge he would find her on he would talk about everything and everything, ranging from what he was studying to what he saw on TMZ when he'd been cooking, to whatever League Gossip Dick had told him earlier that day.

Arley didn't know how to do that, not really. Sure she could talk about a book she'd read or a new musical she'd just listened to but she wasn't like Wally who could talk until the dark thoughts had been carried away by the conversation.

"How did you and your wife meet?" Arley blurted out, Razer's brows shot up and Arley cringed inwardly. "Sorry-you don't, feel free not to answer that I just, thought maybe you'd want to talk about that." To talk about something other than what he was thinking about.

Razer leaned back in his chair and slipped his hand under the table.

"Why do you wish to know?" Razer asked quietly; Arley flashed the Volkreggian a small smile.

"To put up with you, I'm sure she'd have to have the patience of a saint."

Razer scoffed, his armed crossed over his chest only to quickly concede; his face softened and he subtlety nodded.

"She did; Ilana was patient, epically with me, she was kind when I was not. She was everything I could never be-will never be," Razer replied.

"She sounds wonderful."

"She was-we met in the market place when we were teens. Her family had just moved to the city, they were from a small village miles away, back then the infightings only ever happened out there. We met when I got into a squabble—"

"—You mean a fight?" Arley asked, Razer shot her a dry look to which she automatically challenged.

"Yes," Razer huffed, "Perhaps it was fight; but that Stallman had shorted me and he would not return my money." Arley's brows raised in the aliens direction, Razer shifted in his seat. "Anyway the Stallman pulled a weapon and knocked me to the ground. No one was doing anything, they were all going to watch me be killed but Ilana-she stood between us. Refused to move. She said whatever argument we had gotten into there was no right for him to take my life over it. That if he truly wanted my blood than he would have to take hers as well."

"She was brave," Arley commented.

"Foolish," Razer sniped fondly, the dark look that had been in his eyes began to slowly fade, "I told her as much when she helped me home. She called me an idiot for picking a fight I didn't win." Arley couldn't help but lowly hoot at woman's jeer; Razer chuckled as well.

"My mother asked her to stay for dinner that night, and when I walked her home I found she lived only a few blocks away. After that it was like I was drawn to her, some days I would find her at the well in the city square and some days I would just find her running errands. But I always found her," Razer said softly, his body stiffened and he grit his teeth.

It didn't take a genius to know what had popped into Razers mind.

"Wally didn't have a body to bury," Arley said; Razer's eyes flew away from the table and to Arley who'd quickly developed a ball in her throat. "He uh-one minute he was there and then the next he wasn't."

Razer just blinked at her.

"Honestly I'm not sure which one of us has more bad luck you know?"

"The both of us perhaps are just as equally unlucky as one another," Razer proposed.

"Yeah?" Arley nodded, "Probably."

It was quite for several moments; the tips of Razers fingers had curled against his mouth and Arley's hand pressed against her stomach as the pair of them looked off into space.

"What was your partner like?" Razer wondered.

"Wally? He-he was kind, maybe he put his foot in his mouth, he was always more leap before you look but he always had the best intentions at heart and he was a genius, like certifiable could have graduated high school at fourteen if he had wanted to. He was funny too, like maybe not the funniest person ever but he knew I liked really bad corny jokes so sometimes I'd find him looking them up on his phone just to tell me." _He was good,_ Arley was trying to say.

"He sounds remarkable, that child of yours is lucky to have had a father like him."

"Yeah," Arley croaked, tears clouded her eyes; _Why did you leave?_ Arley asked herself, _Why did you leave me behind?_ "They are-I am, was lucky to have known him." To have been loved by him.

Nortz she wanted him back; even if it were just for a moment, Arley wanted him back. She needed him.

**...**

As they trekked through the jungle terrane of wherever they were Wally looked up at the sky and for a moment it looked like the star— the bring green star that reminded him so much of Arley —was pulsing.

 _I'm coming,_ he swore to himself, _Just hang in there Glowstick. I'm coming back to you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm still updating once a week, but I was getting such great comments on this story from somthingcolorful I couldn't help post a chapter early
> 
> Also, second, would you guys rather see a friends with benefits Lightspeed au after this story, a Justice League Animated Series (2001) au or a Teen Titans au cause like, I'm thinking of continuing writing for Arley and Wally (if I don't make my way over to a Marvel series I've been toying with) and I have WIPS of all three but I'm bad at multitasking between projects so like I'm only to devote my time to one of them when I'm finished with this story and I'd love some feedback on what you guys would rather see!


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